Fix 'Permission denied (publickey)' When Pushing to GitHub

Oct 2, 2025 · 3 min read

Fix 'Permission denied (publickey)' When Pushing to GitHub

Getting a ‘Permission denied (publickey)’ error when trying to push to GitHub? This error means GitHub can’t authenticate you because of an SSH key problem. Let’s fix it quickly.

Key Takeaways

The error occurs when GitHub can’t authenticate your SSH connection
Three main causes: missing SSH keys, keys not added to GitHub, or incorrect remote URL format
Test your connection with ssh -T git@github.com to verify the fix works
SSH agent and config files help manage multiple accounts or persistent authentication

What This Error Means

The ‘Permission denied (publickey)’ error happens when Git tries to connect to GitHub using SSH, but the authentication fails. Think of SSH keys as a special password that lets your computer talk to GitHub securely.

This guide covers the three main causes and shows you exactly how to fix each one.

The Three Main Causes (And How to Fix Them)

1. No SSH Keys Created on Your Computer

Quick Check:

ls -la ~/.ssh

If you see “No such file or directory” or the folder is empty, you need to create SSH keys.

Fix: Generate a new SSH key pair:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "your-email@example.com"

Press Enter three times to accept the defaults. This creates two files:

~/.ssh/id_ed25519 (private key - keep this secret)
~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub (public key - share with GitHub)

2. Public Key Not Added to GitHub

Even with SSH keys created, GitHub won’t recognize you until you add your public key to your account.

Fix: First, copy your public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Then add it to GitHub:

Go to GitHub SSH settings
Click “New SSH key”
Paste your key and save

3. Wrong Remote URL Format

GitHub SSH URLs must start with git@github.com: - not your email or username.

Check your current URL:

git remote -v

Correct format:

git@github.com:username/repository.git

Wrong formats:

youremail@github.com:username/repository.git  ❌
https://github.com/username/repository.git    ❌ (this is HTTPS, not SSH)

Fix: Update to the correct SSH URL:

git remote set-url origin git@github.com:username/repository.git

Verify Everything Works

Test your SSH connection to GitHub:

ssh -T git@github.com

You should see:

Hi username! You've successfully authenticated...

If this works, you can now push to GitHub without the permission denied error.

Common Troubleshooting Issues

SSH Agent Not Running

If your key exists but still doesn’t work, the SSH agent might not be running.

Fix:

eval "$(ssh-agent -s)"
ssh-add ~/.ssh/id_ed25519

Multiple GitHub Accounts

Managing multiple accounts requires an SSH config file. Create ~/.ssh/config:

Host github.com-work
  HostName github.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_work

Host github.com-personal
  HostName github.com
  User git
  IdentityFile ~/.ssh/id_ed25519_personal

Then clone using:

git clone git@github.com-work:company/repository.git

Platform-Specific Notes

Windows users: Use Git Bash instead of Command Prompt or PowerShell
macOS/Linux users: Use Terminal

Both platforms follow the same commands shown above.

Conclusion

The ‘Permission denied (publickey)’ error is frustrating but easy to fix. In most cases, you just need to create SSH keys and add the public key to GitHub. Remember to verify your connection with ssh -T git@github.com before pushing.

Once set up correctly, you’ll never see this error again for that repository.

FAQs

While technically possible, it's best practice to create separate key pairs for each account. This improves security and makes troubleshooting easier when managing different repositories.

SSH is more convenient once configured since you don't need passwords for each push. HTTPS works everywhere but requires authentication tokens or passwords for every operation.

No. Add your key to the SSH agent using ssh-add to cache the passphrase for your session. This way you only enter it once per session.

Immediately generate a new key pair and update GitHub with the new public key. Remove the compromised key from GitHub settings and never share private keys.

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