How to Export Lovable to GitHub: Complete 2025 Migration Guide

8 min read

How to Export Lovable to GitHub: Complete 2025 Migration Guide

Last Updated: October 26, 2025 | Reading Time: 10 minutes

Looking to export your Lovable project to GitHub? You're among hundreds of developers searching for this exact solution. Whether you need version control, team collaboration, or want to deploy elsewhere, this guide covers every method to get your Lovable code into GitHub.

Why Export Lovable to GitHub?

Before diving into the how, let's understand the why:

  • Version Control: Track changes, revert mistakes, manage branches
  • Team Collaboration: Work with developers not on Lovable
  • Deployment Freedom: Deploy to Vercel, Netlify, AWS, anywhere
  • Backup Strategy: Protect against platform issues
  • Cost Management: Continue development without credits
  • CI/CD Pipelines: Automate testing and deployment
  • Code Ownership: Full control over your codebase

Table of Contents

  1. Method 1: Direct GitHub Integration
  2. Method 2: Download and Push
  3. Method 3: Git Remote Setup
  4. Continuous Sync vs One-Time Export
  5. Setting Up GitHub Actions
  6. Common Issues & Solutions
  7. What Gets Exported
  8. Post-Export Workflow

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

  • Lovable account with project to export
  • GitHub account
  • Git installed locally (for manual methods)
  • Basic terminal/command line knowledge
  • Project download permissions in Lovable

Method 1: Direct GitHub Integration

The easiest way if your Lovable plan supports it.

Step 1: Enable GitHub Integration in Lovable

  1. Open your Lovable project
  2. Navigate to Settings → Integrations
  3. Click Connect GitHub
  4. Authenticate with GitHub
  5. Grant Lovable permissions

Step 2: Configure Repository

# Lovable will prompt you to:
1. Create new repository OR
2. Connect existing repository

For New Repository:

  • Repository name: your-project-name
  • Visibility: Public/Private
  • Initialize with README: No (Lovable provides it)

For Existing Repository:

  • Select from dropdown
  • Choose branch (main/master)
  • Conflict resolution: Overwrite/Merge

Step 3: Initial Sync

Click Sync to GitHub button. Lovable will:

  1. Export all project files
  2. Create initial commit
  3. Push to selected branch

Step 4: Enable Auto-Sync (Optional)

Toggle Auto-sync to automatically push changes:

  • Every save
  • Every 5 minutes
  • On manual trigger

Method 2: Download and Push

For when GitHub integration isn't available.

Step 1: Download Your Project

# In Lovable:
1. Click "Export" or "Download" button
2. Select "Download as ZIP"
3. Save to local machine

Step 2: Extract and Initialize Git

# Terminal commands:
unzip lovable-project.zip
cd lovable-project
git init

Step 3: Create GitHub Repository

# Using GitHub CLI:
gh repo create your-project-name --public --source=.

# Or manually on GitHub.com:
1. Click "New repository"
2. Name it
3. Don't initialize with README
4. Copy the repository URL

Step 4: Push to GitHub

# Add all files
git add .

# Create initial commit
git commit -m "Initial export from Lovable"

# Add remote origin
git remote add origin https://github.com/yourusername/your-project.git

# Push to GitHub
git push -u origin main

Method 3: Git Remote Setup

For advanced users wanting granular control.

Step 1: Access Lovable's Git URL

Some Lovable projects provide Git access:

# In Lovable project settings, look for:
Git URL: https://git.lovable.dev/your-project.git

Step 2: Clone Locally

git clone https://git.lovable.dev/your-project.git
cd your-project

Step 3: Add GitHub as Remote

# Add GitHub as additional remote
git remote add github https://github.com/yourusername/your-repo.git

# Verify remotes
git remote -v
# Output:
# origin    https://git.lovable.dev/your-project.git (fetch)
# origin    https://git.lovable.dev/your-project.git (push)
# github    https://github.com/yourusername/your-repo.git (fetch)
# github    https://github.com/yourusername/your-repo.git (push)

Step 4: Push to GitHub

# Push to GitHub remote
git push github main

# Set GitHub as default (optional)
git branch --set-upstream-to=github/main

Continuous Sync vs One-Time Export

Continuous Sync

Pros:

  • Always up-to-date
  • Automatic backups
  • Team sees changes immediately

Cons:

  • Requires Pro+ Lovable plan
  • Can create many commits
  • Potential sync conflicts

Setup:

// .lovable/sync.config.json
{
  "github": {
    "enabled": true,
    "repository": "username/repo",
    "branch": "main",
    "frequency": "on_save", // or "5min", "manual"
    "commit_message": "Auto-sync from Lovable: {timestamp}"
  }
}

One-Time Export

Pros:

  • Works on any plan
  • Full control over commits
  • No ongoing connection needed

Cons:

  • Manual process
  • Can become outdated
  • Requires re-export for updates

Best Practice Workflow:

  1. Export at major milestones
  2. Continue development locally
  3. Re-import to Lovable if needed

GitHub Actions Setup

Automate deployment after export.

Basic Deployment Workflow

Create .github/workflows/deploy.yml:

name: Deploy Lovable Export

on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  build-and-deploy:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest

    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v3

    - name: Setup Node.js
      uses: actions/setup-node@v3
      with:
        node-version: '18'
        cache: 'npm'

    - name: Install dependencies
      run: npm ci

    - name: Build project
      run: npm run build

    - name: Run tests
      run: npm test

    - name: Deploy to Vercel
      if: github.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
      run: |
        npm i -g vercel
        vercel --prod --token=${{ secrets.VERCEL_TOKEN }}

Environment Variables

Store Lovable environment variables in GitHub:

  1. Repository → Settings → Secrets
  2. Add each variable from Lovable
  3. Reference in workflows: ${{ secrets.VAR_NAME }}

What Gets Exported

✅ Included in Export

  • Source Code: All JavaScript/TypeScript files
  • Styles: CSS, SCSS, Tailwind configs
  • Assets: Images, fonts, icons
  • Configuration: package.json, configs
  • Public Files: HTML, robots.txt, manifests
  • Documentation: README, licenses

❌ NOT Included

  • Environment Variables: Must export separately
  • Database Data: Only schema exported
  • Lovable Metadata: Internal platform data
  • Build Artifacts: dist/, .next/, etc.
  • Deployment Settings: Server configurations
  • Analytics Data: Usage statistics
  • User Uploads: Dynamic content

Environment Variables Export

# In Lovable, go to Settings → Environment Variables
# Click "Export as .env"

# Creates .env file:
API_KEY=your-api-key
DATABASE_URL=your-database-url
NEXT_PUBLIC_APP_URL=https://your-app.com

⚠️ Security Warning: Never commit .env to GitHub!

# Add to .gitignore
echo ".env" >> .gitignore
echo ".env.local" >> .gitignore

Common Issues & Solutions

Issue 1: "Authentication Failed"

Solution:

# Use personal access token instead of password
1. GitHub → Settings → Developer settings
2. Personal access tokens → Generate new token
3. Select scopes: repo, workflow
4. Use token as password

Issue 2: "Large Files Rejected"

Error: this exceeds GitHub's file size limit of 100.00 MB

Solution:

# Use Git LFS for large files
git lfs track "*.psd"
git lfs track "*.zip"
git add .gitattributes
git add large-file.psd
git commit -m "Add large files with LFS"
git push

Issue 3: "Merge Conflicts"

Solution:

# Pull latest changes
git pull origin main

# Resolve conflicts in VS Code or:
git status  # See conflicted files
# Edit files, remove conflict markers
git add .
git commit -m "Resolve merge conflicts"
git push

Issue 4: "Missing Dependencies"

Solution:

# Lovable might use internal packages
# Check package.json for @lovable/* packages
# Replace with public alternatives:

# Before:
"@lovable/ui": "^1.0.0"

# After:
"@shadcn/ui": "^0.8.0"

Issue 5: "Build Fails After Export"

Common Fixes:

# Clear caches
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
npm install

# Check Node version
node --version  # Should match Lovable's

# Install missing peer deps
npm install --save-peer-deps

# Check for Lovable-specific imports
# Replace with standard imports

Post-Export Workflow

1. Set Up Development Environment

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Set up environment variables
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your values

# Run development server
npm run dev

2. Configure VS Code

// .vscode/settings.json
{
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode",
  "tailwindCSS.includeLanguages": {
    "javascript": "javascript",
    "html": "HTML"
  }
}

3. Set Up Pre-commit Hooks

# Install husky
npm install --save-dev husky lint-staged
npx husky init

# Add pre-commit hook
echo "npx lint-staged" > .husky/pre-commit

4. Continue Development

You can now:

  • Edit in VS Code/Cursor
  • Use GitHub Copilot
  • Collaborate with team
  • Deploy anywhere
  • Return to Lovable anytime

Deploying Your Exported Project

To Vercel

# Install Vercel CLI
npm i -g vercel

# Deploy
vercel

# Follow prompts, get URL

To Netlify

# Install Netlify CLI
npm i -g netlify-cli

# Deploy
netlify deploy --prod

# Or drag-drop in Netlify UI

To Cloudflare Pages

# Build project
npm run build

# Install Wrangler
npm i -g wrangler

# Deploy
wrangler pages deploy ./dist

Returning to Lovable

Need to bring changes back to Lovable?

Option 1: Re-import Project

  1. Lovable → New Project → Import from GitHub
  2. Select repository
  3. Configure import settings

Option 2: Manual Sync

# In your local project
git remote add lovable https://git.lovable.dev/project.git
git push lovable main

Best Practices

1. Commit Messages

# When exporting, use clear messages
git commit -m "Export from Lovable: [date]"
git commit -m "Post-export: Fix dependencies"
git commit -m "Post-export: Add GitHub Actions"

2. Branch Strategy

# Keep Lovable exports separate
git checkout -b lovable-export
# Make changes
git checkout main
git merge lovable-export

3. Documentation

Always update README after export:

# Project Name

Originally created with [Lovable](https://lovable.dev)
Exported to GitHub on: 2025-01-26

## Development
- Run locally: `npm run dev`
- Build: `npm run build`
- Deploy: `npm run deploy`

Automation Script

Save time with this export script:

#!/bin/bash
# save as export-lovable.sh

echo "🚀 Exporting Lovable Project to GitHub"

# Download from Lovable (manual step)
echo "1. Download project from Lovable"
echo "   Press Enter when complete..."
read

# Setup
unzip ~/Downloads/lovable-export.zip -d ./lovable-project
cd lovable-project
git init

# Configure git
git add .
git commit -m "Initial export from Lovable $(date +%Y-%m-%d)"

# Create GitHub repo
echo "Enter GitHub repo name:"
read REPO_NAME
gh repo create $REPO_NAME --public --source=.

# Push
git push -u origin main

echo "✅ Export complete! View at: https://github.com/$(gh api user -q .login)/$REPO_NAME"

Conclusion

Exporting from Lovable to GitHub opens up endless possibilities for your project. Whether you choose continuous sync or one-time export, you now have the knowledge to:

  • Take full control of your code
  • Collaborate with any developer
  • Deploy anywhere
  • Reduce platform dependency

Remember: You can always return to Lovable for AI-assisted development when needed!

Related Tutorials

Questions? Found an issue? Check out our other Lovable guides for more help.

Fred

Fred

AUTHOR

Full-stack developer with 10+ years building production applications. I've deployed applications to every major cloud platform and lived to tell the tale.