How to back up Replit projects

Open the Git tool from the left sidebar Tools dock. If your project is not yet a Git repository, click Initialize Repository. Then click Connect to GitHub and authorize Replit to access your GitHub account. Choose an existing repository or create a new one. Replit syncs your project files to the main branch. This gives you a complete remote backup of your code on GitHub that persists even if something happens to your Replit workspace.

After making changes to your code, open the Git tool. You will see a list of modified files. Stage the files you want to back up by clicking the plus icon next to each file, or click Stage All to include everything. Write a descriptive commit message and click Commit. Then click Push to send your changes to GitHub. Replit can auto-generate commit messages using AI if you click the sparkle icon next to the message field.

For more granular Git control, use the Shell. You can stage specific files, create branches, view diffs, and push to any remote. The Shell provides the full Git CLI including commands like git log, git diff, git branch, and git stash. For private repositories, store a GitHub personal access token in Secrets under the key GIT_URL and use it for authentication when pushing.

1# Check status of changed files
2git status
3
4# Stage specific files
5git add src/index.ts src/utils.ts
6
7# Commit with a message
8git commit -m "Add user authentication feature"
9
10# Push to GitHub
11git push origin main
12
13# For private repos, use a personal access token:
14# Store in Secrets: GIT_URL = https://TOKEN@github.com/user/repo.git
15# Then push: git push $GIT_URL main

For a quick local backup, click the three-dot menu at the top of the file tree panel and select Download as ZIP. This downloads your entire project directory including all files, folders, and configuration. Store the ZIP on your local machine, cloud storage, or an external drive. This method does not require GitHub and works on all plans including the free Starter tier.

Replit tracks changes to individual files automatically. Open File History from the Tools dock in the left sidebar. Select a file to see its version history with timestamps and diffs. Click on any previous version to see what the file looked like at that point. Click Restore to revert the file to that version. This is especially useful when Agent modifies a file unexpectedly and you need to undo just that one change without reverting the entire project.

Create a script that automatically commits and pushes to GitHub on a schedule. Write a simple shell script that stages all changes, commits with a timestamp, and pushes to the remote. Then use a Scheduled Deployment to run this script at regular intervals, such as every day at midnight. This ensures you always have a recent backup even if you forget to push manually.

1#!/bin/bash
2# backup.sh — Automated backup script
3# Run this on a schedule via Replit Scheduled Deployment
4
5cd /home/runner/$REPL_SLUG
6
7# Configure Git identity
8git config user.email "backup@replit.dev"
9git config user.name "Automated Backup"
10
11# Stage all changes
12git add -A
13
14# Commit with timestamp (skip if nothing changed)
15git diff --cached --quiet || git commit -m "Automated backup: $(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')"
16
17# Push to GitHub
18git push origin main
19
20echo "Backup completed at $(date)"