In short

Git’s `includeIf` can automatically switch the commit identity based on the repository path: Split your company and open-source `user.name` and `user.email` into separate configuration files, then include them in `~/.gitconfig` using `includeIf "gitdir:path/"`. This way, the settings take effect automatically when you enter the corresponding directory, eliminating the need to manually change them each time.

Git Config Setup for Multiple Environments

🧭 Background

When using Git across multiple development scenarios, we often encounter conflicts regarding identity information:

Manually switching between user.name and user.email every time is not only cumbersome but also prone to errors. Is there a way to automatically switch Git configurations?

The answer is—yes, using includeIf !

❓ Why Distinguish Between Git Identity Configurations?

Here’s how I use it personally:

Company project commits: Use my Chinese name + company email
Open-source project commits: Use my alias Cassian Florin

GitHub email

If you don’t need to manage multiple identities, the --global configuration is actually sufficient:

git config --global user.email "公司邮箱"
git config --global user.name "中文名"

git config --global pull.rebase true

🧬 A More Flexible Multi-Identity Configuration (Recommended)

✍️ My Development Environment

macOS 15.4.1 (M1 Pro)
JetBrains Toolbox suite (CLion, WebStorm, DataGrip)
Git installed globally
The article directory structure uses ~/dev/ as the main directory

📁 Create an Additional Git Configuration File

Open Terminal and navigate to your home directory:

cd ~
ls -a

Create a new Git configuration file:

vim .gitconfig_qnvip

Sample content:

[user]
    name = Cassian Florin
    email = your-open-source-email@example.com

You can also use touch .gitconfig_qnvip to create an empty file first and then edit it.

🔁 Modify the `.gitconfig`

main file to enable conditional switching

Edit ~/.gitconfig and add the following configuration:

[user]
    name = 中文名
    email = 公司邮箱

[core]
    autocrlf = input

[pull]
    rebase = true

[includeIf "gitdir:/Users/huapai/dev/open/"]
    path = /Users/huapai/.gitconfig_qnvip

🧪 Practical Demo

Initialize a new project in the ~/dev/open/ directory:

mkdir ~/dev/open/test-project
cd ~/dev/open/test-project
git init

View the currently active Git configuration:

git config user.name
git config user.email

If Cassian Florin and your open-source email address are displayed, it means includeIf is active!

✅ Summary & Recommendations

If you’re a developer with only one identity, using global configuration is sufficient.
If you have company, open-source, or multiple roles, we recommend using includeIf to manage multiple identities.
Later on, you can also write automation scripts, switch identities with a single click, or use Git hooks in conjunction with this setup.

Git Config Setup for Multiple Environments