GitHub for version control

Connecting GitHub to Bolt lets you automatically back up your Bolt project with a full history of changes that lives outside Bolt. This gives you flexibility in where you work on your project. You can build in Bolt, switch to working directly in GitHub, and then come back to Bolt whenever you want. And since your code lives in GitHub, you can publish your site using Bolt hosting, the Netlify integration, or another service you choose. Connecting GitHub to Bolt has these benefits:

• Handles Git automatically: Bolt manages the technical Git steps for you.
• Keeps branches separate: Each branch has its own memory, so nothing bleeds over between them.
• Gives you control: You decide which projects connect to GitHub.
• For GitHub orgs, gives admins control: Admins can decide which organization repos are available to which organization accounts.

You can bring an existing GitHub project into Bolt, or start building in Bolt and create a new GitHub repository for your project. For an introduction to version control and GitHub with Bolt, watch the video below:

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Prerequisites

To connect your GitHub account to Bolt, you need an individual GitHub account. Before starting, sign up for a GitHub account if you don’t already have one.

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Connect GitHub

To connect an individual GitHub account to Bolt:

1. Sign in to Bolt and open a project.
2. In the top-right corner of the screen, click the GitHub icon.
3. Click Log in to GitHub.
4. When prompted to let StackBlitz (Bolt’s parent company) access your GitHub account, click Authorize.
5. Click Install the GitHub App.
6. Select whether Bolt can access All repositories or Only select repositories. The Install & Authorize Bolt.new (by StackBlitz) page opens.
7. Click Install & Authorize to confirm, then follow the on-screen instructions to enter your credentials.

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Change repository access

If you want Bolt to access additional repositories, or remove access to ones it no longer needs, you can update this at any time. You don’t need to be an organization admin to do this for your own account.

1. In Bolt, open a project connected to GitHub.
2. In the top-right corner of the screen, click the GitHub icon.
3. Click Configure the GitHub App. The Install & Authorize Bolt.new (by StackBlitz) page opens.
4. Update your repository access, then click Save.

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Create a new repository from a Bolt project

1. Open the project you want to link with a new GitHub repository.
2. In the top-right corner of the screen, click the GitHub icon. The Create a repository page opens.
3. Enter a name for your new repository.
4. Click Create repository.
5. Click Start building to return to Bolt.

The repository starts as private, on a main branch. You can set the repository to public in your GitHub settings, and you can create new branches in Bolt or on GitHub. To learn more, see Branching and merging.

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Import an existing repository

1. On the Bolt homepage, below the chatbox, click GitHub, then log in to your GitHub account.
2. Choose how you want to import:
   • Use the drop-down menu to select the repository.
   • Click Import from URL, then enter your GitHub repository URL.
3. Click Choose this repository. Bolt loads your repository as a new Bolt project.

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Branching and merging

When working with a shared GitHub repository, it’s a good habit to create a new branch for your changes rather than committing directly to the main branch. This helps keep work isolated, reduces the chance of merge conflicts, and makes it easier to review and collaborate on changes. You can create a branch from the default branch and then open a pull request when your changes are ready to be merged. When you create or import a repository in Bolt, you’ll start on the main branch. This is usually the live version of your project. You can do all your work on main, or create branches. Branches allow you to:

• Work with others without overwriting each other’s changes.
• Work on different features separately, so unfinished work doesn’t go live.
  For example, if you’re building three new features on the main branch, you’d have to finish all three before publishing. With branches, you can finish and merge each one into main as they’re ready.

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Create a new branch in Bolt

1. Open a project that’s already linked to a GitHub repository.
2. In the top-right corner of the screen, click the GitHub icon.
   
3. Click Create new branch, then enter a branch name.
4. Click Create branch.

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Change branches in Bolt

1. Open a project that’s already linked to a GitHub repository.
2. In the top-right corner of the screen, click the GitHub icon.
3. Select the branch you want to switch to.

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Committing and fetching

Bolt saves your work automatically. Every time you make a change that doesn’t break the project, Bolt creates a commit for you. It also checks GitHub every 30 seconds for any updates made outside Bolt and pulls those in.

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Connect to a GitHub organization

Bolt supports working with GitHub organizations, which allow teams to install the Bolt app at the organizational level and choose which repositories are visible to members inside Bolt. To learn more, see GitHub organization setup.

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Collaborate on projects connected to GitHub

Only the project owner can connect and manage the GitHub integration. If you’re a collaborator on a shared project, the GitHub icon isn’t available to you, and changes you make sync to GitHub the next time the project owner opens the project. To learn more about how integrations work in shared projects, see Collaborate with others.

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Troubleshoot GitHub sync issues

In your own projects, Bolt syncs to GitHub every time you make a change. If collaborators edit your project, their changes sync the next time you open the project. If your changes don’t sync to GitHub as expected, reauthorizing the GitHub app can help refresh the connection and get your sync working again. To reauthorize your GitHub connection:

1. On the Bolt homepage, below the chatbox, click the GitHub option.
2. In the Import a repository dialog, click Configure the GitHub App. The Install Bolt.new (by StackBlitz) page opens.
3. Select your GitHub account. The Install & Authorize Bolt.new (by StackBlitz) page opens.
4. Click Install & Authorize, then follow the on-screen instructions to enter your credentials. When GitHub finishes verifying your credentials, you’re returned to Bolt, and your connection is refreshed.

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Disconnect a project

Disconnecting a project permanently removes its connection to the GitHub repository. The project no longer syncs to GitHub, and you can’t manually reconnect it. To disconnect a project:

1. Open a project that’s already linked to a GitHub repository.
2. In the top-right corner of the screen, click the GitHub icon.
3. Click Disconnect project, then click Disconnect to confirm.

Your project is no longer connected to GitHub. Going forward, use Bolt’s Version history to view or restore a previous version of your project.

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Disconnect GitHub

Fully removing your GitHub integration is a one-step process if you used your GitHub account to create your Bolt account, or a two-step process if you didn’t. Either way, start by following the steps below: