# Connecting a repository

> Importing an external git repository as a mirror.

**“Add repository”** imports your external repository as a mirror. This is how you connect
**cloud** repositories reachable from the internet (github.com, gitlab.com,
Bitbucket and any self-hosted git with a public address).

- **Clone URL** — the HTTPS address of the repository.
- **Name in Gitea** — an optional name for the mirror.
- **Source token** — for private repositories (for example, a GitLab PAT with read access).

> **Git behind a firewall, or you would rather not hand us a token?** If your git server is on an internal
> network and not reachable from the internet — or you simply do not want to give us an access token —
> use the [**connector**](/en/docs/connector): a lightweight agent in your network carries
> the repositories over to us, and the token stays with you.

The import runs in the background with a progress indicator; you can close the window and the process will continue. When it finishes, the repository appears in the switcher.

How to keep the mirror up to date is covered in [Repositories and sync](/en/docs/repositories).