Websites and development
What Is GitHub?
GitHub is a software development platform that hosts Git repositories and provides tools for collaboration. Teams can store project files, inspect change history, discuss proposed updates and coordinate work. Its other services support additional parts of the development process.
Definition and further reading: GitHub Docs. Sources checked 7 November 2026.
Where GitHub fits in a team’s update process
GitHub hosts project collaboration; deployment uses the project’s configured publishing process.
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GitHub hosts project collaboration; deployment uses the project’s configured publishing process.
- Project branch: A person or AI assistant prepares a proposed update.
- GitHub pull request: Presents the changes for discussion, checks and approval.
- Publishing process: Deploys the chosen version after the approved changes are merged.
A repository is not automatically a live website. Hosting and publishing arrangements need to be configured.
Simplified explanation based on this entry’s sources and further reading.
Why would GitHub matter to a business?
A repository under an appropriate business-controlled account can make a website easier to hand over and maintain. The practical value comes from access, readable history and a clear review process. Simply creating an account does not establish those habits.
This matters when a founder changes developers or needs urgent help while the usual maintainer is unavailable. The next person needs access to the right project, an explanation of how it works and a clear account of recent changes. A well-maintained GitHub project can support that handover, provided the ownership and working practices have been deliberately organised.
A practical GitHub example
Illustrative example: an AI coding assistant prepares an update in a branch. The maintainer opens a pull request, which presents the proposed changes for review. After checks and approval, the changes are merged and the site’s publishing process deploys the appropriate version.
The pull request explains the customer problem, the proposed behaviour and the checks performed. A reviewer asks whether the update also affects related pages before approving it. After publication, the team checks the live customer task and records any follow-up work, so the merged change and the business result remain connected.
A useful distinction about GitHub
Storing website code on GitHub is different from hosting the public website. A repository can supply files to another hosting provider. GitHub has additional products, including hosting for some static-site uses, but their eligibility, limits and terms need separate assessment.
A link to a repository therefore does not answer every ownership or recovery question. Ask where the live service runs, where its separate data is kept and how the repository’s files reach that service. Documenting those connections helps the business understand what it controls and which additional accounts are needed to maintain the complete website.
A useful first question about GitHub
Can the business access its repository and history independently of one supplier’s personal account? Record the ownership and publishing arrangement so a future handover is manageable.
Have the maintainer show the relevant project and explain who can invite a replacement supplier. Also ask where setup and publishing instructions are recorded. These practical checks are more informative than merely knowing that the website “is on GitHub.”
Sources and further reading
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