If you already have a repository on your machine but the submodule folders are empty, or if someone recently added a submodule to the project, you need to manually initialize them.
: Once the clone is complete, check your local project folder. You should see the submodule directories populated with files rather than just empty folders. 2. Downloading Submodules for an Existing Repository github desktop download submodules
Managing complex projects often means juggling multiple repositories at once. Using allows you to keep a Git repository as a subdirectory of another, making it easier to manage dependencies like external libraries or shared components. If you already have a repository on your