Instantly Push a New GitHub Repo Using One .bat File

Creating a new GitHub repository manually each time?
Let’s automate the entire process — from folder creation to the first commit — using a single reusable .bat file.

This guide explains the how and why in a simple Q\&A format, and gives you the full working script.

What does firstrepo.bat do?

It automates:

1. Creating a local folder if needed
2. Initializing a Git repo with master branch
3. Adding _venv to .gitignore
4. Creating a GitHub repo using the gh CLI
5. Making the first commit
6. Setting remote and pushing to GitHub

How do I use it?

Just run it like this:

firstrepo.bat myname

It’ll set everything up and open your GitHub repo instantly.

What does it prevent?

• Double nesting like desoise-images/desoise-images/
• Missing GitHub credentials
• Forgetting to switch from main to master
• Missing .gitignore for _venv

What if I’m already inside the repo folder?

No problem. The script checks the folder name and skips mkdir and cd if you’re already there.

What if gh CLI is not installed or not authenticated?

You’ll get this clear message:

GitHub CLI (gh) is not installed. → Download: https://cli.github.com/

Or, if not authenticated:

Please run 'gh auth login' to authenticate with GitHub.

Then the script exits safely.

Behind the Scenes

It uses:

git init -b master 
gh repo create ... 
git push -u origin master

…and adds _venv to .gitignore automatically.

Full Script: firstrepo.bat

@echo off
setlocal

:: Check if repo name is passed
if "%~1"=="" (
    echo Usage: firstrepo.bat YourNewRepoName
    exit /b
)

set "REPO_NAME=%~1"
set "GITHUB_USER=vikaskbh"
set "VISIBILITY=private"

:: Check if GitHub CLI is installed
where gh >nul 2>&1
if errorlevel 1 (
    echo GitHub CLI (gh) is not installed.
    echo → Download: https://cli.github.com/
    exit /b
)

:: Check if gh is authenticated
gh auth status >nul 2>&1
if errorlevel 1 (
    echo Please run 'gh auth login' to authenticate with GitHub.
    exit /b
)

echo.
echo  Requested repo: %REPO_NAME%

:: Get current folder name
for %%I in ("%CD%") do set "CURRENT_FOLDER=%%~nxI"

if /I "%CURRENT_FOLDER%"=="%REPO_NAME%" (
    echo Already in %REPO_NAME% folder, skipping mkdir and cd
) else (
    if not exist "%REPO_NAME%" (
        echo  Creating folder: %REPO_NAME%
        mkdir "%REPO_NAME%"
    )
    cd "%REPO_NAME%"
)

echo.
echo  Initializing Git...
git init -b master

echo _venv> .gitignore

echo.
echo First commit
git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit"

echo.
echo  Creating GitHub repo: %REPO_NAME% (%VISIBILITY%)
gh repo create %GITHUB_USER%/%REPO_NAME% --%VISIBILITY% --source=. --remote=origin --push

:: Fallback remote add in case gh fails
git remote add origin https://github.com/%GITHUB_USER%/%REPO_NAME%.git 2>nul

echo.
echo  Pushing to GitHub...
git push -u origin master

echo.
echo Repo created and pushed: https://github.com/%GITHUB_USER%/%REPO_NAME%

endlocal

Where should I keep it?

You can put it inside:

C:\Windows\

…so you can run firstrepo.bat my-project from any folder.

Vikas Bhagwagar

Full Stack Software Engineer | AI Author – Credentials
Experience: 20+ Years in Software Development
Credentials: B.E. Computer, SVNIT Surat (2004)