--file=<path>::
- Use `<path>` to store credentials. The file will have its
+ Use `<path>` to lookup and store credentials. The file will have its
filesystem permissions set to prevent other users on the system
from reading it, but will not be encrypted or otherwise
- protected. Defaults to `~/.git-credentials`.
+ protected. If not specified, credentials will be searched for from
+ `~/.git-credentials` and `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/credentials`, and
+ credentials will be written to `~/.git-credentials` if it exists, or
+ `$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/credentials` if it exists and the former does
+ not. See also <<FILES>>.
+
+[[FILES]]
+FILES
+-----
+
+If not set explicitly with '--file', there are two files where
+git-credential-store will search for credentials in order of precedence:
+
+~/.git-credentials::
+ User-specific credentials file.
+
+$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/git/credentials::
+ Second user-specific credentials file. If '$XDG_CONFIG_HOME' is not set
+ or empty, `$HOME/.config/git/credentials` will be used. Any credentials
+ stored in this file will not be used if `~/.git-credentials` has a
+ matching credential as well. It is a good idea not to create this file
+ if you sometimes use older versions of Git that do not support it.
+
+For credential lookups, the files are read in the order given above, with the
+first matching credential found taking precedence over credentials found in
+files further down the list.
+
+Credential storage will by default write to the first existing file in the
+list. If none of these files exist, `~/.git-credentials` will be created and
+written to.
+
+When erasing credentials, matching credentials will be erased from all files.
EXAMPLES
--------