# Managing Repository Access

## Repository Visibility

As mentioned in the [Creating GitHub Repositories](creating-github-repositories) section, you can determine which users can see your repositories. If you set repository visibility to “Public” then anyone on the internet can read and download your repository. If you set repository visibility to “Private”, then only users or organizations you explicitly invite can read and download your repository. To change visibility of your repository:

1. &#x20;Click “settings” on your repository’s GitHub page
2. Click "Options" from the sidebar&#x20;
3. Scroll down to "Danger Zone" section
4. Click "Change Visibility"

![](https://927526918-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MLdLQiWusFChugCBdJh%2F-MMrHswA4P9JSPuHmqDV%2F-MMrsfOSqJCg-XHJBJuv%2FScreen%20Shot%202020-11-23%20at%2012.51.01%20AM.png?alt=media\&token=f773ccf5-da55-4d5c-ae7b-b50c14e2f642)

![](https://927526918-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MLdLQiWusFChugCBdJh%2F-MMrHswA4P9JSPuHmqDV%2F-MMrtLfqsSor6lpBtfb1%2FScreen%20Shot%202020-11-23%20at%208.34.49%20PM.png?alt=media\&token=5104edc3-10d4-4d8c-bb93-084abf04c161)

Changing the visibility of your repository can affect your repository’s forks and must be done with caution (see [this](ttps://docs.github.com/en/enterprise/2.13/user/articles/what-happens-to-forks-when-a-repository-is-deleted-or-changes-visibility#changing-a-private-repository-to-a-public-repository) article for more details).

## Collaborators

You can explicitly invite users to commit changes to your repository through adding collaborators:&#x20;

1. On the repository page navigate to “settings”
2. Click “Manage access”
3. Click “invite collaborators” and type in the user name of the users you want to add.&#x20;

![](https://927526918-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-MLdLQiWusFChugCBdJh%2F-MMrHswA4P9JSPuHmqDV%2F-MMrrE37W9SskOmb71XY%2FScreen%20Shot%202020-11-23%20at%2012.53.18%20AM.png?alt=media\&token=8873e29c-a35f-4531-af7a-413cb666c165)

## &#x20;
