Moving your project off Lovable or Replit sounds scary. It isn't. If you can follow a recipe, you can do this.
Below are 5 clear steps. Do them in order. Each step has a screenshot so you know exactly what you're looking at.
⏱️ Time needed: 1–2 hours for a simple site. Half a day if you have a database and logins. 🧰 What you need: a laptop (Windows or Mac), a free GitHub account, and a notepad for passwords.
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Step 1 — Connect your project to GitHub
GitHub is a free place where your code will live safely. Think of it as Google Drive, but for code.
1. Open your project inside Lovable (or Replit). 2. Find the Connect to GitHub button. 3. Click it and follow the prompts — it will create a new repository for you automatically.
✅ When you're done, your code is safely stored on GitHub. You can close the builder — you don't need it anymore.
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Step 2 — Copy your code's address
Go to github.com and open the repository that was just created.
1. Click the green Code button. 2. Copy the HTTPS link that appears (it ends in .git).
Paste that link into your notepad. You'll need it in 30 seconds.
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Step 3 — Run your project on your own computer
Don't panic — you'll only type 4 commands. Open a terminal:
- Mac: press ⌘ + Space, type Terminal, hit Enter. - Windows: press the Windows key, type PowerShell, hit Enter.
Then type these one at a time (replace the link with your own):
git clone https://github.com/you/my-project.git cd my-project npm install npm run dev
When you see something like running at http://localhost:5173, open that link in your browser. Your app is now running on your own laptop. 🎉
💡 If git or npm says "not found", install Git and Node.js first — takes 2 minutes each.
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Step 4 — Move your database (only if you have one)
If your project has logins, saved data, or forms — you have a database. We'll move it into a free Supabase project.
1. Create a free account at supabase.com and start a new project. 2. In the old builder, export your database as an SQL file. 3. In Supabase, open the SQL Editor, paste your SQL, click Run.
Then open your project's .env file on your laptop and replace the old database link with the new Supabase one. Save. Restart your app.
✅ Your data now lives in a database you fully control.
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Step 5 — Put your site online
Time to make the world see it. The easiest free host is Vercel.
1. Go to vercel.com and sign in with GitHub. 2. Click Add New → Project. 3. Select the repository from Step 1. 4. Click the big black Deploy button.
Wait about 60 seconds. Vercel gives you a live link like my-project.vercel.app. You're live. 🚀
Want to use your own domain (like mysite.com)? In Vercel, go to Settings → Domains, add it, and follow the instructions your domain provider shows you.
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Quick checklist before you celebrate
- [ ] Site opens in the browser - [ ] Login works (if you have login) - [ ] Forms submit correctly - [ ] Images and uploads show up - [ ] You can log in to admin (if you have one)
If something is broken, 9 times out of 10 it's a missing environment variable. Copy your .env values into Vercel under Settings → Environment Variables and redeploy.
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Stuck? I'll help.
If any step feels overwhelming, don't force it. Send me a message on WhatsApp at +44 7745 254351 and I'll take a look at your project — usually free of charge for a first look. Together we'll get you moved cleanly, without breaking anything.
You've got this. 💪