Set GH CLI as default while Cloning on GitHub? #13003

I don't think there is currently a GitHub.com setting that makes the "GitHub CLI" tab the default choice in the repository Code dropdown.

The supported path today is to use gh repo clone OWNER/REPO directly from your terminal instead of relying on the web UI to preselect it.

If your real goal is to avoid switching protocols, you can set the default protocol that gh repo clone uses when you do not pass an explicit URL:

gh config set git_protocol ssh

or

gh config set git_protocol https

Then gh repo clone owner/repo will follow that preference.

You can also pass a full repository URL to gh repo clone when you want to override the default for a single clone.

GitHub actually saves your selected clone tab (HTTPS, SSH, or GitHub CLI) in your browser’s local storage. When you click the GitHub CLI tab once in the green "Code" dropdown, GitHub remembers that preference for other repositories you open in that browser.

If it keeps reverting back to SSH:

• Check if your browser is configured to clear cookies / site storage upon closing.
• Check if you are using private/incognito browsing.

Also, if you use the CLI frequently, you don’t need to copy the command from the browser at all—you can just type gh repo clone <owner>/<repo> straight in your terminal.