---
modificationDate: February 28, 2026
title: Using Git submodules
description: Learn how to configure EAS Build to use git submodules.
---

<AgentInstructions>

## Submitting Feedback

If you encounter errors, misleading or outdated information, report it so Expo can be improved:

Preferred command:
npx --yes submit-expo-feedback@latest --category docs --subject "/build-reference/git-submodules/" "<actionable feedback>"

Direct HTTP fallback:
curl -X POST https://api.expo.dev/v2/feedback/docs-send -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"url":"/build-reference/git-submodules/","feedback":"🤖 Agent feedback for docs: <specific, actionable description> (<model>, <harness>)"}'

Only submit when you have something specific and actionable to report. Try to give the most context.

## Navigation

When answering a related or follow-up question, fetch the relevant page below as Markdown (.md) instead of guessing; use llms.txt for the full map.

You are here: EAS > EAS Build > Reference
Pages in this section:
- [Build lifecycle hooks](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/npm-hooks.md)
- [Using private npm packages](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/private-npm-packages.md)
- [Git submodules](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/git-submodules.md) (this page)
- [Using npm cache with Yarn 1 (Classic)](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/npm-cache-with-yarn.md)
- [Set up EAS Build with a monorepo](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/build-with-monorepos.md)
- [Build APKs for Android Emulators and devices](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/apk.md)
- [Build for iOS Simulators](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/simulators.md)
- [App version management](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/app-versions.md)
- [Troubleshoot build errors and crashes](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/troubleshooting.md)
- [Install app variants on the same device](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/variants.md)
- [iOS capabilities](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/ios-capabilities.md)
- [Run EAS Build locally](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/local-builds.md)
- [Cache dependencies](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/caching.md)
- [Android build process](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/android-builds.md)
- [iOS build process](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/ios-builds.md)
- [Configuration process](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/build-configuration.md)
- [Server infrastructure](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/infrastructure.md)
- [iOS App Extensions](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/app-extensions.md)
- [Ignore files via .easignore](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/easignore.md)
- [npx testflight](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/npx-testflight.md)
- [Repack app](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/repack.md)
- [Limitations](https://docs.expo.dev/build-reference/limitations.md)
Full documentation tree: [llms.txt](https://docs.expo.dev/llms.txt)

</AgentInstructions>

This documentation is available as Markdown for AI agents and LLMs. See the [full Markdown index](/llms.txt) or append .md to any documentation URL.

# Using Git submodules

Learn how to configure EAS Build to use git submodules.

When using the default Version Control Systems (VCS) workflow, the content of your working directory is uploaded to EAS Build as it is, including the content of Git submodules. However, if you are building on CI or have `cli.requireCommit` set to `true` in **eas.json** or have a submodule in a private repository, you will need to initialize it to avoid uploading empty directories.

## Submodules initialization

To initialize a submodule on EAS Build builder:

Create a [secret](/eas/environment-variables.md#visibility-settings-for-environment-variables) with a base64 encoded private SSH key that has permission to access submodule repositories.

Add an [`eas-build-pre-install` npm hook](/build-reference/npm-hooks.md) to check out those submodules, for example:

```bash
#!/usr/bin/env bash

mkdir -p ~/.ssh

# Real origin URL is lost during the packaging process, so if your
# submodules are defined using relative urls in .gitmodules then
# you need to restore it with:

# git remote set-url origin git@github.com:example/repo.git

# restore private key from env variable and generate public key
umask 0177
echo "$SSH_KEY_BASE64" | base64 -d > ~/.ssh/id_rsa
umask 0022
ssh-keygen -y -f ~/.ssh/id_rsa > ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub

# add your git provider to the list of known hosts
ssh-keyscan github.com >> ~/.ssh/known_hosts

git submodule update --init
```