When you build with Lovable, your project code is stored and managed inside the Lovable platform. If you want your own copy, plan to collaborate with developers, or move your project elsewhere, you can export and sync your project to GitHub.

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Why connect Lovable to GitHub

Connecting your Lovable project to GitHub lets you:

• Back up your code: Store your project safely outside Lovable.
• Collaborate easily: Invite developers, use pull requests, branches, and code reviews.
• Sync changes automatically: Edits in Lovable appear in GitHub, and changes pushed to the active GitHub branch sync back into Lovable.
• Work locally in your IDE: Clone, edit, and commit in your IDE while keeping your project synced.
• Deploy outside Lovable: Self-host or deploy to alternative platforms, see Deployment, hosting, and ownership options with Lovable Cloud.
• Test safely: Use branches and pull requests to develop features on a separate branch before merging changes to your live project.
• Keep a copy of your code within your own infrastructure (Enterprise): connect to GitHub Enterprise Cloud with data residency, or to GitHub Enterprise Server running on your own hardware.

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How GitHub integration works

Lovable’s GitHub integration has two layers:

1. A workspace connection
2. A project repository link

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Workspace connection

A workspace connection authorizes Lovable to access a GitHub account or organization through the Lovable GitHub app. This grants Lovable permission to create and update repositories in your chosen account or organization. Workspace connections are shared across the workspace and can be reused by multiple projects. A workspace can contain:

• Multiple GitHub connections
• Multiple GitHub accounts and organizations
• Multiple GitHub connection types

This is useful if your team works across personal accounts, client accounts, or multiple organizations.

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Project repository connection

A project repository connection links one Lovable project to one GitHub repository. When connected:

• Changes made in Lovable sync to GitHub
• Changes pushed to the active GitHub branch sync back into Lovable
• Lovable only edits and syncs one branch at a time

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GitHub connection types

Lovable supports three GitHub connection types:

• github.com (available on all plans)
  The standard hosted GitHub platform used by most teams. Lovable manages the GitHub app installation for you.
• GitHub Enterprise Cloud - Data residency (available on the Enterprise plan)
  GitHub Enterprise Cloud using a *.ghe.com hostname so repository data stays in a specific region. Lovable manages the GitHub app installation for you.
• GitHub Enterprise Server (available on the Enterprise plan)
  Self-hosted GitHub running on infrastructure your organization controls. With this setup, you create your own copy of the Lovable GitHub app inside your GitHub organization, so credentials remain under your control.

When you add a new connection, you choose which type to set up. All three types support the same two-way sync, branch operations, and pull request creation between Lovable and your GitHub repository.

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Role-based access for GitHub integration

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Create a workspace GitHub connection

Workspace admins and owners can create workspace connections from:

• Workspace settings → Git → GitHub → Add connection
• Project settings → Git → GitHub → Add connection (if a project has not been connected yet).

To use an existing GitHub installation, click Connect next to the account or organization you want to use. The list shows installations on accounts and organizations you have access to on your GitHub identity. To set up a new connection, follow the steps for your connection type:

• github.com
• GitHub Enterprise Cloud (data residency)
• GitHub Enterprise Server

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Connect a project to GitHub

When there is an active workspace GitHub connection, workspace or project admins and owners can connect a Lovable project to a GitHub repository.

• Connecting a project creates a new GitHub repository.
• Each Lovable project can connect to one repository.

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Manage a project’s repository connection

After connecting a project to a GitHub repository, you see the following in the project’s GitHub settings:

• Repository status as Connected
• Branch picker with active branch name (GitHub branch synced with Lovable)
• Clone URLs (HTTPS, SSH, GitHub CLI)
• Option to View on GitHub (available from the dropdown)
• Option to Disconnect (available from the dropdown)

Lovable only edits and syncs one branch at a time. By default, this is the repository’s default branch (usually main). Changes pushed to the currently active branch sync back into Lovable.

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Switch branches

1. Click the branch picker.
2. Search or select a branch.
3. Click the branch to switch.

Lovable immediately starts editing and syncing the branch you switched to. You can switch back to the default branch at any time.

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Create a new branch

1. Click the branch picker.
2. Click + Create branch at the bottom of the list.
3. Enter a branch name. Lovable validates it against empty names, invalid characters, and duplicates.
   Branch names must follow Git naming rules (no spaces, .., leading or trailing dots or dashes, and special characters like ~ ^ : ? * [ ] \).

The new branch is created from the currently active branch as its source (shown as Source: <active branch> in the dialog). Lovable automatically switches to the new branch and starts editing and syncing it.

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Clone the repository locally

After connecting a project, Lovable provides clone URLs for:

• HTTPS
• SSH
• GitHub CLI

You can clone the repository locally and continue working in your preferred IDE.

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View the repository on GitHub

You can quickly access the synced repository directly in GitHub from Project settings → Git → GitHub. Use View on GitHub from the repository connection dropdown. This opens GitHub in a new tab.

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Commit attribution

Commits made by Lovable are authored by the Lovable GitHub app identity:

• lovable-dev[bot] for github.com and GitHub Enterprise Cloud
• <your-app-name>[bot] for GitHub Enterprise Server

Commits are also co-attributed to the Lovable user who triggered them using GitHub’s noreply email format.

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Disconnect a project from a GitHub repository

Disconnecting removes the sync relationship between a Lovable project and a GitHub repository. When you disconnect:

• Sync stops. The two-way connection between Lovable and GitHub ends.
• Your repository stays on GitHub. It remains intact with all history and files.
• Your project and its code stay in Lovable. Future changes are stored only inside Lovable.

Disconnecting a project does not remove the workspace connection itself. There are two ways to disconnect a repository connection.

• Disconnect from the project GitHub settings
• Disconnect from the workspace GitHub settings

If a project needs GitHub again, you can link it to any available connection. If you reconnect later:

• Lovable creates a new repository with the current version of your project.
• The original repository stays unchanged on GitHub and is no longer linked to Lovable.

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Delete a workspace GitHub connection

Workspace admins and owners can delete GitHub connections. Deleting a workspace GitHub connection:

• Removes the connection for all projects
• Stops syncing for linked projects
• Does not delete repositories on GitHub
• Deletes stored credentials
• For GitHub Enterprise Server, deleting a connection also schedules destruction of the stored GitHub app signing key.

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Limitations

The GitHub integration currently does not support:

• Importing existing GitHub repositories into Lovable. You can only export from Lovable to GitHub.
• Reconnecting to the same repository after disconnecting. A new repository is created on reconnect.
• Installing the Lovable GitHub app multiple times on the same account or organization.

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Troubleshooting

When something goes wrong, Lovable shows a Reconnect prompt in the affected project’s GitHub settings.

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Workspace connection issues

These problems affect the workspace-level GitHub connection itself, so the fix usually applies to every project linked to that connection. A workspace owner or admin only needs to perform the fix once from any affected project, and the other projects on the same connection resume automatically.

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Project repository issues

These problems affect a single project’s link to its repository. Workspace or project admins and owners can resolve them from the project’s GitHub settings.

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FAQ