Where Does the GitHub CLI Store Logins?
Where the gh CLI keeps hosts.yml logins and config.yml on each OS, and the variable that moves them.
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The gh CLI stores authentication in hosts.yml and preferences in config.yml, together in one directory: ~/.config/gh on Linux and macOS, %APPDATA%\GitHub CLI on Windows. Each host gets a section with its token and protocol choice.
Tokens in that file are secrets with a path attached, so treat copies like passwords. GH_CONFIG_DIR relocates the whole directory for isolated environments, and gh auth commands edit the files safely where hand edits risk YAML indentation faults.
Where GitHub CLI stores this, by platform
~/.config/gh/hosts.yml
Respects $XDG_CONFIG_HOME. hosts.yml holds per host tokens, config.yml holds aliases and behavior. Override with GH_CONFIG_DIR. Inspect with gh auth status and gh config list.
~/.config/gh/hosts.yml
Same files and commands as Linux. Keychain entries may supplement the file on newer builds; gh auth status shows the effective state.
%APPDATA%\GitHub CLI\hosts.yml
Paste %APPDATA%\GitHub CLI into Explorer. Same hosts.yml/config.yml pair and GH_CONFIG_DIR override as other platforms.
Frequently asked questions
Which accounts am I logged into?
Run gh auth status. It lists logged in accounts per host and which token each uses, without exposing secrets. Re login with gh auth login when a token expires; the file updates in place.
Can I copy gh config to another machine?
Yes for hosts and aliases, carefully for tokens. gh auth refresh regenerates tokens in place, which beats copying stale ones. Environment variable auth (GH_TOKEN) overrides the file entirely and never touches it.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.