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To download all of your GitHub data, open Profile picture → Settings → Account → Export account data and request GitHub’s personal-account export. GitHub emails a .tar.gz download link to your primary email address, but the export is not necessarily a complete, restorable backup of every repository, feature, or organization.
The phrase “all of your GitHub data” can mean several different things. GitHub’s built-in export is best for reviewing personal account data and repository metadata. Repository history requires mirror clones, Git LFS objects require separate handling, and organization-owned data may require administrator or API-based procedures.
Key takeaways
- GitHub’s personal-account export is requested at Settings → Account → Export account data and arrives as a
.tar.gzdownload link sent to the primary email address. - GitHub documents that the export can contain account information, repository metadata, issues, pull requests, comments, reviews, releases, projects, events, attachments, milestones, and settings where applicable.
- The emailed export link normally expires after seven days, and the archive reflects data available when the export was started.
- A restorable repository backup should use
git clone --mirror; repositories using Git LFS also needgit lfs fetch --all. - Migration archives are incomplete: GitHub lists Git LFS objects, discussions, and packages among the omitted data, and GitHub does not provide a supported documented restore path for those archives.
What does “all of your GitHub data” mean?
“All of your GitHub data” is not one precisely defined download because GitHub stores account information, Git objects, collaboration records, uploaded files, automation data, and organization content in different systems.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute| Data category | Examples | Usually requires separate backup or verification? |
|---|---|---|
| Personal account data | Profile information, account metadata, email addresses, plan information, settings, and activity-related information | The official account export is the appropriate starting point |
| Git repository data | Files, commits, branches, tags, references, releases, Git notes, and history | Use a mirror clone for repositories that must be restorable |
| Collaboration data | Issues, pull requests, reviews, comments, labels, milestones, projects, reactions, and permissions | Confirm the export contents or use an API or migration workflow |
| Uploaded files | Issue and pull-request attachments, release assets, and other uploaded files | Confirm which files are included in the particular export |
| Large files | Git LFS objects | Fetch separately with Git LFS |
| Automation and hosting | Actions workflows, secrets, variables, logs, artifacts, caches, environments, deployment records, Pages, and packages | May require separate export or verification; do not assume a personal export restores them |
| Social and account relationships | Stars, follows, notifications, subscriptions, organizations, teams, and private activity | Do not assume these are recreated by a repository backup |
| Organization-owned content | Repositories, teams, packages, billing information, and organization settings | Requires authorization and potentially an organization-wide migration or backup plan |
GitHub’s export is therefore a personal-account data and metadata package, not a guaranteed full disaster-recovery image. GitHub’s first-party explanation of the download feature describes broad categories that may appear in the archive, while GitHub’s current export instructions explain how to request it.
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How do you download all of your GitHub data?
Use GitHub’s Export account data control to request the official personal-account archive.
- Sign in to GitHub.
- Click your profile picture in the upper-right corner.
- Select Settings.
- Open Account in the left sidebar.
- Find Export account data.
- Click Start export or New export, depending on the label shown for your account.
- Wait for GitHub to prepare the archive.
- Open the email sent to your account’s primary email address.
- Follow the download link, re-entering your GitHub password if GitHub requests it.
GitHub supplies the export as a .tar.gz file. The download link normally expires after seven days, so download the file promptly rather than leaving the email for later. The export represents data available when the export was initiated, not a continuously updated copy. GitHub documents these delivery, format, timing, and expiration details in its personal account data export documentation.
After downloading, the Export account data section lets you delete an export before the normal expiration date. Deleting an export is useful if the link was sent to the wrong address, the archive was downloaded to an unsafe location, or access should be revoked before the link expires.
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The exact contents can vary with GitHub’s export implementation and the activity or features associated with an account. GitHub describes the archive at a high level as containing personal account information and repository-related information.
Depending on the account, the export may include profile and account metadata, connected email addresses, plan information, repository metadata, issues, pull requests, comments, reviews, releases, projects, events, attachments, milestones, and settings. GitHub’s migration documentation also describes archive structures containing a repositories directory for repository Git data and an attachments directory for included attachment files. See the GitHub REST API user migration documentation for the documented directory details.
“Included in the archive” does not mean “can be restored to GitHub with one click.” The archive can be valuable for privacy review, account closure, portability, and inspection, but readers should check important categories individually before treating the export as their only backup.
How do you open a GitHub .tar.gz archive?
A .tar.gz file combines a tar archive with gzip compression. On macOS, Linux, Windows Subsystem for Linux, or another system with the tar command, extract a working copy with:
tar -xzf github-export.tar.gzReplace github-export.tar.gz with the actual filename. If your operating system does not include a suitable archive tool, use a reputable local utility that supports gzip-compressed tar archives, as GitHub notes in its export documentation.
- Keep the original downloaded archive unchanged.
- Create a dedicated extraction directory.
- Extract a working copy into that directory.
- Inspect the directory structure before renaming, deleting, or editing files.
- Store the original and extracted data somewhere protected.
The export may contain private account information, private repository information, comments, and uploaded attachments. Use encrypted storage and restrictive file permissions. Do not upload the unencrypted archive to an unfamiliar online extractor merely because the archive is inconvenient to open locally.
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Does the GitHub export include all repository code?
The account export can contain repository Git data, but it should not be treated as a guaranteed complete backup of every repository feature. If repository history must remain recoverable, GitHub’s documented backup method is a mirror clone.
For one repository, run:
git clone --mirror https://github.com/OWNER/REPOSITORY.gitReplace OWNER and REPOSITORY with the repository owner and name. A mirror clone preserves Git references and history more completely than downloading the current files from Code → Download ZIP. A ZIP download is only a snapshot of files at a particular revision; it does not preserve the repository’s complete revision history or GitHub collaboration metadata.
Private repositories require suitable access, and access to a repository does not automatically mean ownership or permission to retain every associated record. Before copying private or employer-owned material, confirm that the repository owner or organization authorizes the backup.
GitHub’s repository backup guidance recommends storing the mirror elsewhere and describes restoration as decompressing the stored backup and pushing the repository to a Git remote.
How do you back up Git LFS files?
A mirror clone is not enough for a repository that uses Git Large File Storage. Fetch all available LFS objects after creating the mirror:
cd REPOSITORY.git
git lfs fetch --allGit LFS stores large files outside ordinary Git objects, so a repository can appear to clone successfully while the large binary content remains unavailable locally. After fetching LFS data, test a checkout on a clean machine or in a separate clone so that missing objects are discovered before the original repository is needed.
GitHub documents git lfs fetch --all as part of its repository backup process. The same GitHub backup documentation should be checked if Git LFS behavior or commands change.
How do you back up every repository?
GitHub does not provide a single ordinary download button that automatically produces a verified, complete backup of every repository and every GitHub feature. An account-wide backup is a workflow that combines repository enumeration, mirror cloning, LFS handling, metadata capture, and verification.
- Enumerate repositories. Use GitHub’s interface or an authenticated API to identify repositories you own or are authorized to back up.
- Handle pagination. API results are commonly divided into pages; a script that reads only the first page can silently miss repositories.
- Mirror each repository. Create a separate
git clone --mirrorbackup for every selected repository. - Fetch LFS objects. Run
git lfs fetch --allfor repositories that use Git LFS. - Handle wikis separately. A wiki may have its own Git repository and should be checked independently if the wiki matters.
- Capture metadata separately. Record repository names, visibility, default branches, descriptions, topics, releases, issues, pull requests, and other records that must be migrated or reviewed.
- Record failures. Keep logs of repositories that were inaccessible, deleted, transferred, rate-limited, or failed to clone.
- Verify the result. Check that every expected repository has a completed mirror, that LFS objects are present, and that a test restoration works.
- Store independent copies. Keep encrypted copies on storage that is not dependent on the GitHub account being backed up.
For recurring backups across many repositories, a script or a vetted third-party backup utility can add scheduling, retries, logs, dashboards, and cloud destinations. GitHub points readers toward third-party backup utilities through the GitHub Marketplace and its backup guidance, but a tool should not be called complete without checking its current token scopes, repository coverage, LFS support, metadata coverage, retention, encryption, and restore process.
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What does a repository mirror preserve—and what does it not preserve?
A mirror clone preserves Git repository data, not the complete GitHub collaboration experience.
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| Requirement | Mirror clone | Account export, API, or migration workflow |
|---|---|---|
| Commits and file history | Yes, when the clone completes successfully | May also contain repository Git data, depending on the export |
| Branches, tags, and Git references | Yes, as Git data | May be represented in repository data or metadata |
| Git LFS objects | Fetch separately with git lfs fetch --all |
Do not assume they are included; migration archives specifically omit them |
| Issues and pull requests | No automatic recreation | May require account export, API extraction, migration tooling, or a specialized service |
| Review comments and discussions | No automatic recreation | Require separate verification; discussions are omitted from documented migration archives |
| Packages and container images | No | Require separate handling; packages are omitted from documented migration archives |
| Actions secrets and permissions | No | Do not assume they are exportable or restorable in recoverable form |
| One-click GitHub restoration | No | No general guarantee; migration archives have no supported documented GitHub restore path |
Pushing a mirror to another Git host can restore Git history, but it does not automatically recreate issues, pull requests, review comments, projects, releases, Actions history, permissions, notifications, stars, follows, or other account relationships.
What is the difference between a migration archive and a backup?
A migration archive is intended for moving selected repository data through GitHub’s migration mechanisms, while a backup is intended to support recovery. A migration archive can contain GitHub-generated metadata in addition to Git data, but it is incomplete and is not a supported GitHub restoration format.
According to GitHub’s repository backup documentation, migration archives do not include all repository data; documented examples include Git LFS objects, discussions, and packages. GitHub also states that there is no supported, documented way to restore migration archives on GitHub.
| Goal | Best starting method | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|
| See what GitHub stores about your account | Personal account export | Not a complete restore image |
| Preserve repository history | Mirror clone | Does not copy GitHub collaboration records |
| Preserve large LFS files | Mirror clone plus git lfs fetch --all |
Requires separate verification |
| Move selected GitHub metadata | Migration or API workflow | Migration archives omit important categories |
| Back up many repositories repeatedly | Script or evaluated backup utility | Requires permissions, logging, retries, and restore testing |
| Recreate an organization | Admin- and API-led migration plan | Organization content is not the same as personal account data |
Can you export organization data?
An individual personal-account export is not the same as an organization-wide export. A user may see or contribute to organization repositories without owning the organization’s repositories, teams, packages, billing information, Actions configuration, or other administrative data.
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Obtain approval before exporting or storing private employer or organization data outside approved systems. Read access answers whether a user can view content; it does not necessarily answer whether the user may copy, retain, or transfer the content.
Why might the GitHub export be incomplete?
The export can be incomplete for a particular recovery goal even when the export itself completed successfully.
- Feature coverage changes: GitHub’s export contents can change, so broad categories should be treated as documented possibilities rather than a permanent file-by-file inventory.
- Ownership and permissions: Repositories the user can access may belong to another person or organization and may not be included as personally owned data.
- Separate storage systems: Git LFS, packages, Actions artifacts, logs, caches, and uploaded files may not follow the same export path as Git objects.
- Collaboration is not Git: A repository mirror cannot recreate GitHub issues, pull requests, review discussions, projects, or permissions.
- Secrets are sensitive: Do not expect GitHub Actions secrets, tokens, or private keys to be downloadable in recoverable plaintext.
- Timing: The export reflects data available when the request starts; later activity is not necessarily represented.
For an account that matters, request the official export for personal data and independently back up important repositories. That two-part approach is safer than assuming that one archive answers every interpretation of “all.”
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How do you troubleshoot a missing GitHub export?
The email never arrives
- Check the primary email address shown in GitHub account settings.
- Search spam, junk, quarantine, and mail-filtering systems.
- Confirm that GitHub has finished processing the export.
- Return to Settings → Account → Export account data and inspect the export status.
- Start a new export only if the existing request is unavailable or failed.
- If the primary address is inaccessible, recover or update that address before requesting another export.
GitHub documents email delivery but does not establish a universal completion time, so do not rely on an assumed processing deadline.
The download link expired
The documented default expiration is seven days. Request a new export instead of trying to use an expired link.
The archive will not open
Confirm that the full .tar.gz file finished downloading, then try tar -xzf filename.tar.gz or a local archive application that supports gzip-compressed tar files.
A repository is missing
Check whether the repository was owned by the account, whether the account had permission at export time, whether the repository belonged to an organization, and whether it was deleted or transferred. Back up important repositories individually with a mirror clone rather than relying on the account export alone.
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Run git lfs fetch --all inside the mirror repository, then test a clean checkout. A successful Git clone does not prove that all LFS objects are available.
You need issues, pull requests, or discussions restored
A Git mirror does not automatically restore GitHub’s collaboration layer. Use the account export, an API or migration workflow, or a specialized backup tool after verifying its coverage. Discussions are specifically omitted from documented migration archives.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What security precautions should you take?
- Keep the original export in encrypted storage.
- Restrict access to extracted files and repository mirrors.
- Do not upload an unencrypted export to an untrusted archive or cloud service.
- Use separate credentials and least-privilege tokens for automated backups.
- Rotate credentials if a token, private key, secret, or other sensitive value may have been copied into an exposed backup.
- Delete temporary downloads and extracted copies when they are no longer needed.
- Record where backup copies exist and who can access them.
- Obtain authorization before copying organization, employer, customer, or contributor data.
- Test restoration without overwriting the original repository or live production data.
Cloud storage such as Azure Blob Storage, Google Drive, or Dropbox can hold an encrypted backup copy, but cloud storage does not recreate GitHub issues, permissions, Actions data, packages, or discussions. Storage cost and retention depend on the provider, capacity, redundancy, operations, and egress.
Does GitHub’s Archive Program back up a private account?
No. GitHub’s public Archive Program concerns preservation of public repositories through archival partners; it is not a personal backup service for private repositories, account settings, private conversations, or a complete GitHub account. GitHub explains that distinction in its documentation about archiving content and data on GitHub.
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GitHub also uses “archive” to describe making a repository read-only. An archived repository is not a downloaded export. GitHub’s repository archiving documentation explains that repository archiving changes the repository’s writable state; it does not create a personal backup file.
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What is the most reliable GitHub backup plan?
For most individual users, use two complementary methods: request the official personal-account export, then mirror-clone important repositories and fetch their Git LFS objects separately.
- Request and securely download the official account export before its seven-day link expires.
- Preserve the original
.tar.gzfile and extract a working copy locally. - List repositories that you own or are authorized to preserve.
- Create a
git clone --mirrorbackup for each important repository. - Run
git lfs fetch --allwherever Git LFS is used. - Capture important GitHub metadata separately, especially issues, pull requests, reviews, projects, releases, packages, Actions records, and permissions.
- Store encrypted copies on independent storage.
- Restore at least one repository in a test location and confirm its history, branches, tags, and LFS files.
The official export answers “what personal data and metadata does GitHub provide in an account archive?” Mirror backups answer “can I recover my repository history elsewhere?” Treating those as separate questions produces a more dependable result.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is a GitHub account export download link valid?
A GitHub account export download link normally expires after seven days. If the link expires, request a new export from Settings → Account → Export account data.
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Is a GitHub personal-data export a complete backup?
No. A GitHub personal-data export is useful for account data, repository metadata, and portability, but it is not guaranteed to restore every GitHub feature. Use mirror clones for repository history and fetch Git LFS objects separately.
Does GitHub Download ZIP include commit history?
No. Code → Download ZIP provides files from a repository revision, not the repository’s complete commit history, branches, tags, or GitHub collaboration metadata. Use git clone –mirror for a repository backup.
Can a GitHub migration archive be restored on GitHub?
GitHub does not provide a supported, documented way to restore migration archives on GitHub. Migration archives also omit documented categories including Git LFS objects, discussions, and packages.
Can I back up an organization’s GitHub data from my personal account?
Not automatically. Organization-wide backup may require owner permissions, authorization, migration APIs, repository-by-repository backups, and separate handling for packages, Actions data, secrets, teams, and billing information.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Request the official export at Settings → Account → Export account data for a personal-data and metadata archive. For actual disaster recovery, mirror-clone important repositories, run git lfs fetch --all where needed, capture collaboration and organization data separately, and test restoration.
