Use a GitHub-backed snapshot plus a small in-repo manifest and a secrets template. In Lovable, create a GitHub Actions workflow (in the repo) that makes downloadable artifacts on demand or on a schedule, add a secrets.template.env (no secret values) and a BACKUP.md that documents what to save outside Lovable (DB dumps, external services). To restore, import the GitHub repo into a new Lovable project (or sync it), then use the secrets.template.env to re-enter values in Lovable’s Secrets UI and restore external DBs from the provider’s dashboard.

Backup — create repo snapshot + manifest inside Lovable

Paste this into Lovable’s chat to make the project create the backup files and GitHub Actions workflow. This will produce a downloadable zip artifact in GitHub Actions whenever you trigger the workflow or on the schedule described.

Please create these files exactly as shown.

Create file .github/workflows/backup.yml with the following content:
```yaml
name: repo-backup
on:
  workflow_dispatch: {}
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 2 * * 0' # weekly on Sundays at 02:00 UTC
jobs:
  backup:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - name: Create repo zip
        run: |
          zip -r repo-backup-${{ github.run_id }}.zip . -x .git/** -x node_modules/** -x .github/**/*
      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
        with:
          name: repo-backup-${{ github.run_id }}
          path: repo-backup-${{ github.run_id }}.zip

Create file BACKUP.md with the following content:

// What this repo backup contains and how to use it
This repository contains the Lovable project source. Backups created by the GitHub Actions workflow will be available as downloadable artifacts in the repository's Actions runs.

Follow these steps to create a backup:

• Connect this project to GitHub via Lovable's Publish/Sync UI.
• Open the Actions tab on GitHub and run the "repo-backup" workflow manually (workflow_dispatch) or wait for the scheduled run.
• Download the artifact named "repo-backup-<run_id>" from the Actions run.

What is NOT stored in the repository:

• Secrets (do not store secret values here)
• External databases and provider-managed resources

See secrets.template.env for secret names that must be re-entered when restoring.

```text
Create file secrets.template.env with the following content (do NOT include real values):

// List of environment variable names used by this project.
// Fill these values manually in Lovable Secrets UI when restoring.
DATABASE_URL=
SUPABASE_KEY=
APP_SECRET=

Add any other env var names used by your app below

```text
Create file backup/manifest.json with the following content:
```json
{
  "files_of_interest": [
    "src/",
    "package.json",
    "lovable.config.json",
    "public/",
    "supabase/",
    ".github/workflows/backup.yml",
    "BACKUP.md",
    "secrets.template.env"
  ],
  "notes": "This manifest lists what to verify after restore. Do not include secrets here."
}

Please commit these files and show me the diff/preview.

 

<h3>Restore — how to get back into Lovable and re-enter secrets</h3>

&nbsp;

<ul>
  <li><b>Download the backup artifact</b> from GitHub Actions (Actions → choose run → Artifacts → download zip).</li>
  <li><b>Restore code into Lovable</b>: In Lovable, create a new project by importing/syncing the GitHub repository you backed up (use Lovable's Publish / GitHub sync or "Import from GitHub" flow). This will bring the code and the workflow files into a fresh Lovable project.</li>
  <li><b>Re-enter secrets</b>: Open the secrets.template.env file in the repo, then go to Lovable's Secrets UI and create each secret with the real values (do NOT paste real secrets into the repo). Match variable names exactly.</li>
  <li><b>Restore external services</b>: Use the external provider’s dashboard (Supabase, Vercel, S3, etc.) to restore DB dumps or assets — this is outside Lovable and must be done in those services’ consoles.</li>
  <li><b>Verify and Publish</b>: In Lovable, Preview the app, run app-specific checks, then Publish once everything looks correct.</li>
</ul>

&nbsp;

<p>If you want, paste this next Lovable prompt to create a RESTORE.md with these exact restore steps inside the repo so future restores are written down.</p>

```text
Please create file RESTORE.md with the following content:

// Restore checklist for this Lovable project

1. On GitHub: go to Actions and download the latest 'repo-backup' artifact if you need a snapshot.
2. In Lovable: create a new project and use the GitHub import/sync flow to point to this repository.
3. In Lovable Secrets UI: open secrets.template.env and add each secret value into the UI (do not put secrets into the repo).
4. External DBs/services: restore dumps from your provider (Supabase dashboard, RDS snapshot, S3 copy, etc.).
5. Preview the app in Lovable, fix any environment-specific config, then Publish.
   ```

Please commit RESTORE.md and show me the preview.

 

<p><b>Notes:</b> Use GitHub sync/export because Lovable has no terminal. The GitHub Actions artifact approach stores downloadable backups without local CLI. Keep real secret values only in Lovable Secrets UI or a secure vault (password manager) and restore provider-managed databases from their dashboards.</p>

Use GitHub sync for the repo + a scheduled GitHub Action that zips the project and uploads snapshots to a durable bucket (S3 compatible). Keep runtime keys in Lovable Secrets for deploy/preview, keep CI keys as GitHub Secrets for the scheduled backup Action, and document a restore checklist (including provider DB/storage backups). This combination gives reliable, testable backups without requiring a terminal inside Lovable.

Concrete changes for Lovable (paste each prompt into Lovable chat)

• Create a GitHub Action backup workflow and helper script — this will zip the repository and upload to S3. You will need to enable GitHub sync in Lovable and add AWS credentials + S3 bucket as GitHub Secrets (outside Lovable).
• Add a backups checklist file inside the project that explains how to restore and how to back up provider data (Supabase/storage). Keep runtime secrets in Lovable Secrets UI.

Prompt A — create workflow + script (paste into Lovable chat)

Please create these files exactly:

Create .github/workflows/nightly-backup.yml with this content:

# Create a nightly backup of the repo and upload to S3
# Runs in GitHub Actions (outside Lovable). Make sure GitHub sync is enabled.
name: nightly-backup
on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 2 * * *' # daily at 02:00 UTC
  workflow_dispatch:

jobs:
  backup:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: checkout
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
        with:
          fetch-depth: 0
      - name: setup node
        uses: actions/setup-node@v4
        with:
          node-version: '18'
      - name: install
        run: npm ci
      - name: run backup script
        env:
          AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
          AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY }}
          AWS_REGION: ${{ secrets.AWS_REGION }}
          S3_BUCKET: ${{ secrets.S3_BUCKET }}
        run: npm run backup

Create package.json (or update) at package.json to include a backup script:

// add or merge into package.json scripts
{
  "scripts": {
    "backup": "node scripts/backup_repo_to_s3.js"
  },
  "dependencies": {
    "archiver": "^5.3.1",
    "aws-sdk": "^2.1360.0"
  }
}

Create scripts/backup_repo_to_s3.js with this content:

// Zip the repo (excluding node_modules, .git) and upload to S3
const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');
const archiver = require('archiver');
const AWS = require('aws-sdk');

const outName = `backup-${new Date().toISOString().replace(/:/g,'-')}.zip`;
const outPath = path.join(process.cwd(), outName);

async function zipRepo() {
  const output = fs.createWriteStream(outPath);
  const archive = archiver('zip', { zlib: { level: 9 } });
  archive.pipe(output);
  // Exclude common large/irrelevant folders
  archive.glob('**/*', {
    ignore: ['node_modules/**', '.git/**', '.github/**', 'dist/**', 'build/**']
  });
  await archive.finalize();
  return outPath;
}

async function uploadToS3(filePath) {
  const s3 = new AWS.S3({ region: process.env.AWS_REGION });
  const data = fs.readFileSync(filePath);
  await s3
    .putObject({
      Bucket: process.env.S3_BUCKET,
      Key: path.basename(filePath),
      Body: data
    })
    .promise();
  console.log('Uploaded', path.basename(filePath));
}

(async () => {
  // Validate env
  if (!process.env.S3_BUCKET) {
    console.error('S3_BUCKET is required');
    process.exit(1);
  }
  const zip = await zipRepo();
  await uploadToS3(zip);
  console.log('Backup complete:', zip);
})();

Notes (manual steps outside Lovable UI):

• Enable GitHub sync for this Lovable project so the .github/workflows file is pushed to GitHub.
• On the GitHub repository settings, add Secrets: AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID, AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY, AWS_REGION, S3_BUCKET.

Backup documentation and restore checklist (Lovable-editable)

Prompt B — add a developer-facing file (paste into Lovable chat)

Please create docs/BACKUPS.md with these contents:

// BACKUPS.md - where to find backups and how to restore
# Backups & Restore Checklist

- Code snapshots: GitHub repo + nightly S3 snapshots (see .github/workflows/nightly-backup.yml)
- Runtime env: Lovable Secrets UI holds running service keys (do NOT store secrets in repo)
- DB & storage: Use provider backups (e.g., Supabase automated backups or export a SQL dump)

Restore quick steps:
1) Repo snapshot: download zip from S3 and extract to a branch, then open in Lovable or push to GitHub.
2) DB: follow provider restore (Supabase: use their restore UI or run pg_restore with a dump).
3) Files: restore storage bucket contents from provider or from S3 copy.

Testing:
- Test a restore quarterly in a staging environment.

• Testing and maintenance: run the Action manually once (Workflow -> Run workflow in GitHub) after enabling sync and secrets to confirm upload. Keep a monthly restore test documented in BACKUPS.md.
• Secrets rules: keep runtime secrets in Lovable Secrets for Preview/Publish. Keep CI secrets in GitHub Secrets (they are separate).
• Provider data: For DBs/storage managed outside the repo (Supabase), enable provider-level scheduled backups — that is done in the provider console, not Lovable.