Where is the global git config data stored?

The global Git configuration data is stored in the .gitconfig file located in the user's home directory. When you use the git config --global command in the terminal to set configurations, it appends these settings to this file.

For example, if you want to set your global username and email address, you would use the following commands in the terminal:

bash
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "your_email@example.com"

After executing these commands, the .gitconfig file will contain the following content:

ini
[user]
    name = Your Name
    email = your_email@example.com

This file is user-specific and affects all Git operations performed by the user on the system. It is distinct from repository-level configurations, which are stored in the .git/config file located in the root directory of each Git repository.

Git's path is: Windows Vista+ C:\Users\<user_name>\.gitconfig

You can simply use:

bash
git config --list --show-origin

With Git 2.26, you can add the --show-scope option

bash
git config --list --show-origin --show-scope

You will see where each configuration setting is located.

See also: Where do the settings in my Git configuration come from?