How to add license to an existing GitHub project

  1. Go to your repository
  2. Click on "Create new file" Button
  3. Type the file name as License.txt or License.md in the input box next to your repository name, a drop down button appears towards right side
  4. Choose the type of license of your choice
  5. Click "Commit new file" button at the bottom (Green button)

There is an easier way to get to the 'Add License' wizard:

  • Go to your repository's Insights tab
  • Click Community on the left side
  • On the right side, click Add on the line wich says License

add license to github repository

For some reason this is not even mentioned in the docs at github.


  1. Go to your repository
  2. Add a new file by clicking the blue plus icon
  3. Type the file name as License.txt or License.md after which a license picker will show up. Then you can choose the type of license.

  1. In your repository, click 'Create new file'

step 0


2. a) Type 'LICENSE', 'LICENSE.md' or 'LICENSE.txt' as the new file's file name. b) The 'Want to use a new template?' dialog will appear.

step 1


  1. Choose your preferred license.

step 2

The accepted answer is almost there, but confused me, because it said 'click the blue plus' - the interface may have changed - and the image is the same as the OP's.