{"meta":{"title":"About forks","intro":"A fork is a new repository that shares code and visibility settings with the original \"upstream\" repository.","product":"Pull requests","breadcrumbs":[{"href":"/en/pull-requests","title":"Pull requests"},{"href":"/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests","title":"Collaborate with pull requests"},{"href":"/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/working-with-forks","title":"Working with forks"},{"href":"/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/working-with-forks/about-forks","title":"About forks"}],"documentType":"article"},"body":"# About forks\n\nA fork is a new repository that shares code and visibility settings with the original \"upstream\" repository.\n\n## About forks\n\nForks are like independent copies of repositories. Unlike branches, forks give you more freedom to experiment without affecting the original project. Unlike cloned or duplicated repositories, changes from forks can be merged back into the upstream repository via pull requests, similar to a branch.\n\nWhen you view a forked repository on GitHub, the upstream repository is indicated below the name of the fork.\n\n![Screenshot of a repository's page on GitHub. Below the name of the repository, \"mona/docs\", the text \"forked from github/docs\" is outlined in orange.](/assets/images/help/pull_requests/fork-path.png)\n\n## What makes forks distinct from branches\n\nEach fork is a complete repository with its own:\n\n* Branches\n* Members and discussions\n* Issues and pull requests\n* Actions and projects\n* Tags, labels, and wikis\n\n## When to use a fork\n\nThere are times when a fork may be a better fit for your task than a branch would be. A fork might be better:\n\n* To experiment safely without affecting the original project\n* To create separate space for discussions unrelated to a project's main goals\n* When you might want to make your work an independent repository later\n\n## Which repositories can be forked?\n\nYou can fork any public repository:\n\n* To your personal account\n* To an organization where you have permission to create repositories\n\nIf you have access to a private repository and the owner permits forking, you can fork the repository:\n\n* To your personal account\n* To an organization on GitHub Team where you have permission to create repositories\n\nYou cannot fork a private repository to an organization using GitHub Free. For more information about GitHub Team and GitHub Free, see [GitHub's plans](/en/get-started/learning-about-github/githubs-plans).\n\n## Next steps\n\nFor instructions for forking a repository, see [Fork a repository](/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/working-with-forks/fork-a-repo).\n\nFor more information about when you can create forks, and the permission and visibility settings of forks, see [About permissions and visibility of forks](/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/working-with-forks/about-permissions-and-visibility-of-forks)."}