# What is Fork?

*Development · Last updated: September 27, 2026*

The process of taking a copy of an existing software project and starting to make independent new modifications on it.

## Overview

A fork allows you to copy a complete project written by someone else into your own account or space in the open-source world. After taking this copy, you can modify it however you like, add new features, or take it in your own direction without being tied to the original project.

***Analogy:** It is like taking a popular author's book and starting to write a new story where you change the ending according to your own mind.*

## How it works

By clicking the relevant button on code hosting platforms, you copy all the current history and files of the project to your own space.

## Where it is used

It is used when contributing to open-source projects or when you want to customize existing software for a different purpose.

## Commonly confused with

It should not be confused with the clone operation, which is simply downloading the project to a computer to examine it; the fork operation creates a new and independent ownership on the server side.

## Questions and answers

**Will updates made to the original project come to me after forking?**

They do not come automatically, but you can explicitly pull the innovations from the original project into your own copy.

## Related terms

- [Clone](https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/clone/)
- [Open Source](https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/open-source/)
- [Repository Checkout](https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/repository-checkout/)

## Related tools

- [Manim](https://trescout.com/en/discover/manim/)
- [Googletest](https://trescout.com/en/discover/googletest/)

This explanation was written in plain language for TreScout with AI and **machine-translated** from the Turkish original · the Turkish version prevails. If something looks wrong or missing, write to [hello@trescout.com](mailto:hello@trescout.com). [Read in Turkish →](https://trescout.com/dictionary/fork/)

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Source: TreScout Dictionary · https://trescout.com/en/dictionary/fork/