How to export Lovable code to GitHub: a step-by-step guide

By Sebastian Mertens · October 6, 2026

To export Lovable code to GitHub, open your project settings, choose Git, then GitHub, and connect the account that should own the repository. Check that the project says Connected and In sync with GitHub before downloading or cloning it. This guide shows the settings with real screenshots, including the separate ZIP download option if you only want a copy.

Choose GitHub sync or a code download

Start with what you want to do with the code. If you plan to keep building, hand the project to a developer, or connect it to a host, use GitHub. The Git settings describe a connection that carries changes between Lovable and your repository in both directions.

If you only want to inspect the files or save a snapshot, use Download codebase instead. A ZIP is convenient to open and share, but it does not give that folder an ongoing connection to your Lovable project. Keep this distinction in mind when someone asks you to “export”: they may mean a download, a repository, or a complete move to another host.

You need access to the Lovable project and the GitHub account you intend to use. Decide whether the repository belongs in your personal account or your team's organization before starting. That makes the account selection easier to check later.

Step one: open Lovable project settings

Open the project you want to export. At the top left, click the project name to expand its menu. Click the gear beside the project name; the tooltip in the screenshot calls it Project settings.

Lovable project dropdown with the gear icon labelled Project settings beside the project name — Open the project menu, then click the gear beside its name.

Select any screenshot to open it at full size. Check the project name before continuing, particularly if you have several similar prototypes. You are opening settings for this project, so the repository you create will contain this project's code. The Code tab visible in the screenshot is useful for browsing files; the gear is the route used in this guide.

Step two: choose Settings → Git → GitHub

In the settings sidebar, find Settings, then select Git. You should see a Git provider card and a Download codebase section. Click the GitHub card to open its connection settings.

Lovable Settings Git page showing the GitHub two-way sync card and Download codebase ZIP button — The Git screen contains both the GitHub connection and the separate ZIP download.

This screenshot comes from a project that already syncs with GitHub. It shows where to open the GitHub settings, rather than the initial authorization screen. If your account has never been connected, complete the setup below before looking for the connected status.

The text beneath the card also explains that a project uses a Git provider at a time. If your screen shows another provider, check the current setup before changing it. For an existing team project, ask whoever manages its repository which account and connection to use.

Step three: authorize GitHub and connect the project

For first-time setup, a workspace owner or admin opens Workspace settings → Git → GitHub → Add connection. Choose Add account, select your GitHub account or organization, and finish Install & Authorize in GitHub. If a connection already exists, use it.

Back in Project settings → Git → GitHub, a workspace or project owner or admin selects Connect beside the desired account. Lovable creates a new repository, private by default. You do not need to create an empty repository first. These are the setup steps in Lovable's GitHub documentation, checked October 6, 2026.

Before approving, read the GitHub account or organization name. A personal prototype and a client project may belong in different places. Once you return to Lovable, check the repository owner displayed in the connection screen against that choice.

Step four: verify the repository and sync status

A connected project should show the repository name, a Branch picker, and Connected. The screenshot below also shows In sync with GitHub and explains that Lovable and GitHub are on the same commit.

Lovable GitHub repository connection showing Connected, main branch, In sync with GitHub, Re-check and HTTPS clone URL — Check the repository, branch and in-sync status before taking a local copy.

The example has main selected. Your branch may have another name. Lovable syncs the active branch; work pushed to another branch appears after you merge it or select that branch. Re-check checks the status again; it does not trigger a sync. See Lovable's Git sync overview, checked October 6, 2026.

Open the repository on GitHub and inspect the file list. Look for your project files and package.json, then compare a recent change with what you see in Lovable's editor. This is a useful completion check: an account authorization alone does not prove that you have exported the intended project.

Step five: clone your Lovable code to your computer

Below the connection status, Clone repository offers HTTPS, SSH, and GitHub CLI. Use the copy button beside your own repository's address. The address in the screenshot belongs to the example project.

For HTTPS, open a terminal in the folder where you keep projects and run:

git clone https://github.com/YOUR-ACCOUNT/YOUR-REPOSITORY.git
cd YOUR-REPOSITORY

Replace the example address with the copied URL. A clone creates a local copy with Git history, which lets you commit changes and push them back. Access to a private repository requires GitHub authentication; use the sign-in method your Git client supports. GitHub's cloning guide covers HTTPS, SSH and GitHub CLI.

Open the resulting folder in your editor or coding agent. Read its README and package.json to find the install and start commands. Follow the package manager named by the project rather than copying commands from an unrelated tutorial. Keep your first local change small so you can review what your editor changed before pushing it.

How to download Lovable code without GitHub

Return to Project settings → Git and find Download codebase, shown in the second screenshot. Click Download, then extract the ZIP and open the resulting folder. You do not need a repository for this route. Lovable documents direct code downloads for paid plans in its Git sync overview, checked October 6, 2026.

Name the extracted folder so you can recognize which project and snapshot it contains. If you download again later, keep the folders distinct until you have compared them. Editing an extracted ZIP does not send those changes back to Lovable automatically.

If the Lovable GitHub connection is not working

No GitHub connections available: return to the workspace connection setup and check the selected account with the workspace owner or admin.
Authorization never opens: check whether your browser blocked the GitHub popup, then try again. Lovable lists this in its GitHub troubleshooting.
The repository opens, but a change is missing: compare the branch names and latest commit before downloading again.
Saved Lovable work needs recovery: the connection screen includes Check for saved Lovable work. Review any offered recovery with the project owner; it is separate from checking sync status. Lovable's recovery instructions explain the choices.

Write down the exact message and repository name if you need help. “Connected but showing an older change on this branch” gives a teammate much more to work with than “export failed.”

FAQ

Does Lovable give you source code?

Yes. The GitHub route gives you the project files in a repository, and Download codebase gives you a ZIP snapshot. Check the exported files before handing them to your developer.

Can I connect an existing GitHub project to Lovable?

The Git sync flow creates a new repository; importing an existing repository is unsupported. Export your Lovable project first. Lovable's GitHub limitations, checked October 6, 2026.

Does exporting also move my database and live website?

No. The repository contains code, not database records, and syncing changes does not publish the live site. Lovable's Git sync FAQ separates these steps.

Now host your Lovable app for free on ohmyho.st

Your code is in GitHub. Now give your app a live URL. Open the repository in Claude Code, Codex or Cursor and let your agent deploy it to ohmyho.st. You can keep building in Lovable while hosting from the same repository.

Start on the Free plan with 200 credits per UTC month. Builds and app usage draw from that balance; your agent's deployment plan shows what your app needs before you publish.

Paste this into your coding agent with the repository open:

Read https://ohmyho.st/llms.txt and https://ohmyho.st/skills/ohmyhost-get-started/SKILL.md. Connect this agent to ohmyho.st and deploy this GitHub project using only the capabilities it needs. After signing in, use the user and organization that whoami reports; never guess an account, organization or project ID. Follow the deployment Skill, keep my existing project decisions and verify the app.

Follow How to host a Lovable app after export for the full hosting walkthrough. To continue development with your own coding agent, see A Lovable alternative with your own LLM.