How to back up GitHub (and restore deleted data)

In short: To back up GitHub, install the ProBackup GitHub app on your account or organisation, choose the repositories to protect, and the first snapshot runs within 24 hours. Repositories, branches and commits are then copied every day to independent AWS storage, and each snapshot is a full Git copy (all branches, tags and history) you download and push back with git. There is no one-click restore into GitHub, and issues, pull requests, projects, discussions, wikis, releases and Git LFS files are not backed up.

ProBackup is a SaaS backup service that takes automated daily snapshots of your cloud app data. It has backed up GitHub since January 2025. For GitHub, that means an independent, versioned copy of your source history that survives a deleted repository, a force-push or a departing admin.

Why GitHub's built-in recovery is not a backup

GitHub is a version control host, and git itself keeps history well. But "history exists somewhere in a clone" is not the same as a backup you control. GitHub's own recovery paths are narrow and time-boxed (all checked 2026-09-16):

Two things stand out. First, only the repository has a real undo, and it expires after 90 days. Second, restoring via GitHub Support is reserved for paid plans, so a free organisation has only the self-service path.

None of these paths help when the problem is not deletion but corruption: a bad rebase pushed to main, a script that rewrote history, or an AI coding agent that ran git push --force at machine speed. A daily snapshot you own is the only way to answer "what did this repository look like on Tuesday?"

How to back up GitHub with ProBackup (step by step)

Setup takes about three minutes and needs no server, script or cron job.

1. Create your ProBackup account. Go to app.probackup.io/onboarding. The 7-day trial needs no credit card. Pick the AWS region where your snapshots will live; nine regions are available and the choice is yours at signup (changing it after the first backup requires support assistance).
2. Install the ProBackup GitHub app. Choose GitHub from the platform list and install the ProBackup app in GitHub. ProBackup never sees your password and stores no GitHub access token: it keeps only the installation ID and requests short-lived access from GitHub for each backup.
3. Choose the scope. On GitHub's installation screen, pick the account or organisation, then either all repositories or only the ones you select.
4. Wait for the first snapshot. It starts automatically and completes within 24 hours, then repeats every 24 hours with no scheduling on your side.
5. Browse the vault. Open the backup in ProBackup to see each repository, its branches and commit history as of every snapshot date, and export what you need.

Everything is stored in AWS S3 with AES-256 encryption at rest and TLS in transit. ProBackup is SOC 2 Type II audited and GDPR compliant. On Pro and Premium you can also sync the backup to your own Google Drive for a second copy.

What is (and is not) backed up for GitHub

ProBackup backs up:

• Repositories
• Branches
• Commits
• Repository snapshots (a downloadable .tar.gz of a full git clone with every branch, tag and commit, saved on each day the repository changed)

Not backed up:

• Issues
• Pull requests
• Projects
• Discussions
• Wikis
• Releases
• Git LFS files

If issue or pull request history matters to your team, keep a separate export of it and treat the ProBackup snapshot as protection for the code itself.

Version history depends on your plan: Plus keeps 6 months of snapshots, Pro keeps 2 years and Premium keeps 4 years.

How to restore deleted GitHub data

Be clear-eyed here: there is no one-click restore into GitHub. GitHub and DocuSign are the two apps ProBackup backs up without restoring into the app. You don't need one for code, though: every snapshot is a full Git copy of the repository, so git itself is the restore tool.

How it works in practice:

1. Open the GitHub backup in ProBackup and pick the snapshot from before the deletion or bad push.
2. View the repository, branch and commit data as it stood on that date.
3. Download the repository snapshot from ProBackup: a .tar.gz of a full Git clone with all branches, tags and commit history.
4. Recreate the repository in GitHub (or recover it natively if you are inside the 90-day window) and push the downloaded history back with git.

This is slower than a one-click restore, but it is deterministic and it works after GitHub's 90-day window has closed, after a fork-network block, and after a force-push that no clone survived.

FAQ

How long does GitHub keep a deleted repository?

Ninety days, if you restore it yourself from the account or organisation settings (docs.github.com, checked 2026-09-16). Repositories that belonged to a fork network cannot be restored unless every other member of the network is deleted or detached, and team permissions are not restored with it.

Does ProBackup back up GitHub issues, pull requests or Actions?

No. The scope is repositories, branches, commits and repository snapshots. Issues, pull requests, projects, discussions, wikis, releases and Git LFS files are not backed up, and neither are Actions workflow runs; workflow files committed to the repository are part of its Git history.

Can I restore a GitHub repository from ProBackup?

Not with one click. You download the snapshot of any retained day, a full Git copy with all branches, tags and history, and push it back to GitHub with git. Plans start at $25 per month, billed yearly, with 6 months of version history on Plus, 2 years on Pro and 4 years on Premium.

Start backing up GitHub today

Connect GitHub in three minutes and get your first snapshot within 24 hours. No credit card, no scripts to maintain, and a copy of your repositories that outlives GitHub's 90-day window.

Start your free 7-day trial