Migration Guide

How to Export a Lovable Project to GitHub

A step-by-step export guide for Lovable users who want clean source control on GitHub.

Feature1 Team · April 4, 2026 · 4 min read

Before You Start

  • Confirm your Lovable project builds and runs correctly.
  • Decide which GitHub account or organisation will own the repository.
  • You will need admin permissions on the target GitHub org to install the Lovable app.

Important: You cannot change the linked GitHub account after connecting. Make sure you are using the correct account before you begin.

Export Steps

1
Link your GitHub account

Navigate to Settings → Connectors → GitHub and click Connect GitHub. Sign into your GitHub account and authorise lovable.dev to verify your identity.

2
Install the Lovable GitHub App

Return to Settings → Connectors → GitHub and click Connect project. Select Add organizations, choose your personal account or org, decide whether to grant access to all repos or specific ones, then click Install & Authorize.

3
Connect your project

From Settings → Connectors → GitHub, click Connect project again (or use the GitHub icon in the top-right of your project). Choose your target GitHub account or org and confirm with Transfer anyway. A new repository is created and automatic sync begins on the main branch.

4
Verify on GitHub

Open the new repository on GitHub. Confirm that files are present, the default branch is main, and no secrets or API keys are committed.

Post-Export Checklist

  • Clone the repo locally and verify the project builds outside Lovable.
  • Add or update .gitignore to exclude build artefacts and environment files.
  • Check that auto-sync is working: make a small change in Lovable and confirm it appears as a commit on GitHub.

If Export Fails

  • GitHub app not installed: Make sure you completed Stage 2 — the Lovable GitHub app must be installed on the target account/org.
  • Permission denied: You need admin access on the GitHub org to install apps. Ask an org admin to approve the installation.
  • Build or deploy errors: See Fix common Lovable errors for troubleshooting steps.

Next Step

Export is done. If you want to move from prototype to production delivery with structured planning and AI implementation: See how Feature1 works.

Verification

Verified on April 4, 2026. Source: Lovable Docs (Git Integration). If the flow changes, prefer current Lovable docs over this snapshot.

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