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Hyun-woo Bae edited this page Jul 19, 2026 · 1 revision

Windows Explorer Right-Click Menu

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With Windows Explorer right-click integration, you can run Git commands instantly from any folder. It's really convenient!

Enable the feature

Step 1: Open Git Tab Settings

  1. Launch Git Tab.
  2. Click the ⚙ Settings icon in the top right.

Step 2: Enable Explorer integration

  1. In the Settings window, find "Integration" or "Windows Explorer" in the left menu.
  2. Check the "Enable Explorer Context Menu" or "Enable Explorer Context Menu" checkbox.
  3. Click the "Save" or "Apply" button.

Step 3: Refresh Windows Explorer (optional)

If Explorer is already open:

  • Close and reopen the Explorer window, or
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc or restart explorer.exe from Task Manager.

Tip: Rebooting guarantees it takes effect.

Using the right-click menu

Right-click a folder (where Git Tab isn't set up yet)

Any folder right-click will show a "Git Tab" or "Git" menu item somewhere.

Windows 11 users: You may need to click "Show more options" at the bottom of the menu.

Menu items (8 total)

When you expand the menu, you'll see these options:

📂 Open

  • Git Tab launches and loads that folder as a repository.
  • If it's already a Git repository, you'll see the commit history.
  • If it's not a Git repository yet, you'll see the folder structure, and you can select "Initialize Repository" from the Git Tab menu to create a new one.

🆕 Clone

  • Enter a remote repository URL from GitHub, GitLab, etc., and clone it to your PC.
  • It automatically clones the repository under the folder you selected.
  • If authentication is required, you'll be prompted to enter your username + token.

📝 Commit

  • A separate dialog opens.
  • Changed files are automatically shown.
  • Enter a commit message and click the "Commit" button.
  • Fast, because you don't need to open the main app!

⬇️ Pull

  • A separate dialog opens.
  • Click the "Pull" button to download the latest code from the server.
  • If authentication is required, you'll be prompted for your username + token.

⬆️ Push

  • A separate dialog opens.
  • Upload your local commits to GitHub/GitLab.
  • If authentication is required, you'll be prompted for your username + token.

🔄 Fetch

  • A separate dialog opens.
  • Check the server for updates (files don't change) and the dialog closes.

📦 Stash

  • Temporarily save your work in progress.
  • A separate dialog opens where you can optionally name the stash.
  • Useful when you need to save your current work and switch to another branch.

📜 Log

  • Git Tab opens in the main window and shows the commit history.
  • Similar to "Open", but optimized for viewing history in detail.

Example: Typical workflow

Scenario: Edit code and upload to GitHub

  1. Edit code
    Modify code in your text editor (VS Code, Visual Studio, etc.).

  2. Right-click in Explorer
    Right-click the folder where you made changes → "Git Tab" → "Commit".

  3. Enter message & commit
    Type a message in the commit dialog:

    Example: "add login form validation"

    Click the "Commit" button.

  4. Upload to GitHub
    Right-click the same folder again → "Git Tab" → "Push". Click the "Push" button.

  5. Done!
    When the dialog closes, your code is now on GitHub.

Tip: The first Push requires authentication. After that, it happens automatically.

Right-click menu doesn't show?

Things to check

1. Is it really enabled in Settings?

  • Double-check the "Windows Explorer Context Menu" option in Git Tab Settings (⚙).

2. Did you restart Explorer?

  • Close all Explorer windows and open a new one.
  • Or reboot.

3. Are you on Windows 11?

  • Right-click → At the bottom, click "Show more options".
  • The full context menu will appear.

4. Do you need admin rights?

  • Try running Git Tab as administrator (usually not needed).

5. Are other Git GUI tools' context menus registered?

  • If TortoiseGit, GitHub Desktop, or other tools have context menus, they might conflict.
  • Disable those tools' menus and reconfigure Git Tab.

Still not showing?

Check the "Context menu doesn't appear" section on the Troubleshooting page.

Commit / Push / Pull / Fetch dialogs

Commit dialog

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Commit Dialog                      │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Changed files:                      │
│ ☑ src/main.py (23 changes)         │
│ ☑ README.md (2 changes)            │
│ ☐ .gitignore (unchanged)           │
│                                     │
│ Commit message:                     │
│ ┌─────────────────────────────────┐ │
│ │ Implement login feature         │ │
│ └─────────────────────────────────┘ │
│                                     │
│ [Commit]  [Cancel]                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
  • Check the boxes for files you want to commit.
  • Type your message.
  • Click the "Commit" button.

Push / Pull / Fetch dialogs

┌──────────────────────────┐
│ Push Dialog              │
├──────────────────────────┤
│ Branch: main             │
│ Remote: origin           │
│                          │
│ Preparing...             │
│                          │
│ [Push]  [Cancel]         │
└──────────────────────────┘
  • Your current branch is automatically selected.
  • Click the "Push / Pull / Fetch" button.
  • If authentication is needed, a username + token dialog appears.

Do I need admin rights?

No! You can set up Explorer context menu integration without admin privileges.

It does register in the Windows Registry, but Git Tab handles it automatically. (No admin needed)

Next steps

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