Github - Removing Files from Git

icon: LiGithub

The problem

Sometimes a file is gone locally.. but still exists on GitHub or GitHub Pages.
This usually happens after renaming or deleting files.

In this section you will learn:
how to check what Git is actually tracking, and how to remove a file so it disappears online as well.

Workflow Explained (problem)

You create and push a file to GitHub.
You rename or delete the file locally.
You push again.
The old file still exists online.

This is confusing.. but very common.

Why this happens

Git tracks files, not folders
Deleting or renaming locally does not always update Git automatically
GitHub only shows what exists in the published branch

Step by Step – Guide

Prerequisites

Git installed locally
A GitHub repository
Basic Terminal knowledge

Step 1

Create and publish a file

mkdir git-remove-file-demo
cd git-remove-file-demo
git init

echo "First version" > page.html
git add .
git commit -m "Add initial file"

Push the project to GitHub.

Step 2

Rename the file locally (on purpose)

Rename the file without using Git:

mv page.html index.html
git add .
git commit -m "Rename file locally"
git push

Do not fix anything yet.

Step 3

Check what Git is tracking

git ls-files

Filter the result:

git ls-files | grep html

This shows what Git still knows about.

Step 4

Remove the tracked file correctly

If the old file appears in git ls-files, remove it:

git rm page.html
git commit -m "Remove old tracked file"
git push

The file will now disappear from GitHub.

Important rule

If a file exists online, it exists in the branch GitHub publishes.

Deleting a file locally is not enough.

Common mistake

Renaming files like this:

mv old.html new.html

Instead, use:

git mv old.html new.html

This allows Git to understand the change correctly.

Now what?

Success

Well done!
You now know how to remove files from GitHub properly — even when they refuse to disappear.

Git – Documentation

Documentation

Finished

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