No bro, it’s not a bug, Github relates commits to your account through the email address you use when the commits are processed. Therefore, if you pushed commits with an email address which hasn’t been verified yet, Github will not relate them to your account.

Even if you do verify the email later, it won’t add the previous commits that you made to the contribution graph because the system only begins tracking commits made using the verified email address after the email address has been verified.

If you are that keen on having those commits reflected in your contribution graph, you would have to rewrite that commit history and change the email used in all those commits to a verified one. After this has been accomplished, a force push would be necessary. This, however, has to be done very carefully, especially in a project that other individuals are contributing to because it might end up interfering with their work as well.

GitHub doesn't automatically link these old commits when you verify your email address, so these commits will appear in the repo, but they won't be counted as contributions.

Understanding GitHub's Commit Attribution Model

Great question! This is actually intentional GitHub behavior, not a bug. Let me explain why this happens and how to work with it:

Why GitHub Doesn't Retroactively Link Old Commits

Security & Integrity

GitHub maintains strict commit attribution rules to prevent impersonation:

• Commit author email must be verified at the time of pushing
• Retroactive linking could allow users to claim commits they didn't actually make
• This protects repository history integrity and contribution graphs

How Git Commit Attribution Works

1. Local commit: You create a commit with an email address
2. Push to GitHub: GitHub verifies if that email is in your verified emails
3. Linking decision: Only verified emails at push-time get linked to your profile
4. Old commits: Commits made before verification won't be retroactively linked

Solutions for Linking Old Commits

Option 1: Rebase with Correct Author (Recommended)

If you need those old commits linked:

# Interactive rebase to the first commit
git rebase -i --root

# In the editor, mark commits with 'e' (edit)
# Then for each:
git commit --amend --author="Your Name <[email protected]>"
git rebase --continue

# Force push (carefully!)
git push origin main --force

Option 2: Add Email as Alternative

You can add the old email to your GitHub account:

1. GitHub Settings → Email addresses
2. Add your old email and verify it
3. This helps link future commits (won't retroactively change old ones)

Option 3: Accept the Limitation

Many developers simply accept that:

• Contributions from before email verification won't show on their profile
• This is a minor cosmetic issue, not a real problem
• Your contributions are still in the repository history

Best Practices Going Forward

✅ Configure Git globally with verified email:

git config --global user.email "[email protected]"
git config --global user.name "Your Name"

✅ Verify all emails you use:
Add all emails you might use for commits to your GitHub account

✅ Check before pushing:

git log --oneline -5  # Verify author info before push

Why This Design Matters

This security-first approach ensures:

• Contribution graphs are accurate and trustworthy
• Users can't impersonate others' work
• Repository history maintains integrity
• Collaboration records remain authentic

Summary

The behavior you're experiencing is expected. GitHub prioritizes security over convenience when it comes to commit attribution. While it means old commits won't retroactively link, this protects the integrity of GitHub's contribution system.

Hope this clarifies the GitHub contribution model! Let me know if you have other questions. 😊