{"meta":{"title":"About Git Large File Storage","intro":"GitHub limits the size of files allowed in repositories. To track files beyond this limit, you can use Git Large File Storage.","product":"Repositories","breadcrumbs":[{"href":"/en/repositories","title":"Repositories"},{"href":"/en/repositories/working-with-files","title":"Work with files"},{"href":"/en/repositories/working-with-files/managing-large-files","title":"Managing large files"},{"href":"/en/repositories/working-with-files/managing-large-files/about-git-large-file-storage","title":"Git Large File Storage"}],"documentType":"article"},"body":"# About Git Large File Storage\n\nGitHub limits the size of files allowed in repositories. To track files beyond this limit, you can use Git Large File Storage.\n\n## About Git Large File Storage\n\nGit LFS handles large files by storing references to the file in the repository, but not the actual file itself. To work around Git's architecture, Git LFS creates a pointer file which acts as a reference to the actual file (which is stored somewhere else). GitHub manages this pointer file in your repository. When you clone the repository down, GitHub uses the pointer file as a map to go and find the large file for you.\n\nDifferent maximum size limits for Git LFS apply depending on your GitHub plan.\n\n| Product                 | Maximum file size |\n| ----------------------- | ----------------- |\n| GitHub Free             | 2 GB              |\n| GitHub Pro              | 2 GB              |\n| GitHub Team             | 4 GB              |\n| GitHub Enterprise Cloud | 5 GB              |\n\nIf you exceed the per-file limit of 5 GB, the file will be rejected by Git LFS with an error message.\n\nYou can also use Git LFS with GitHub Desktop. For more information about cloning Git LFS repositories in GitHub Desktop, see [Cloning a repository from GitHub to GitHub Desktop](/en/desktop/adding-and-cloning-repositories/cloning-a-repository-from-github-to-github-desktop).\n\nYou can choose whether Git LFS objects are included in [source code archives](/en/repositories/working-with-files/using-files/downloading-source-code-archives), such as ZIP files and tarballs, that GitHub creates for your repository. For more information, see [Managing Git LFS objects in archives of your repository](/en/repositories/managing-your-repositorys-settings-and-features/managing-repository-settings/managing-git-lfs-objects-in-archives-of-your-repository).\n\n## Pointer file format\n\nGit LFS's pointer file looks like this:\n\n```text\nversion https://git-lfs.github.com/spec/v1\noid sha256:4cac19622fc3ada9c0fdeadb33f88f367b541f38b89102a3f1261ac81fd5bcb5\nsize 84977953\n```\n\nIt tracks the `version` of Git LFS you're using, followed by a unique identifier for the file (`oid`). It also stores the `size` of the final file.\n\n> \\[!NOTE]\n>\n> * Git LFS cannot be used with GitHub Pages sites.\n> * Git LFS cannot be used with template repositories.\n\n## Further reading\n\n* [Collaboration with Git Large File Storage](/en/repositories/working-with-files/managing-large-files/collaboration-with-git-large-file-storage)\n* [Git Large File Storage billing](/en/billing/managing-billing-for-your-products/managing-billing-for-git-large-file-storage/about-billing-for-git-large-file-storage)"}