How to Successfully Move a Git Repository Without Losing History

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Migrating a Git repository can seem intimidating, but with the right process, it’s straightforward. Whether you’re switching hosting platforms, reorganizing projects, or consolidating repositories, preserving your repository’s history is crucial. A smooth migration ensures your project remains intact with all commits, branches, and tags preserved.

In this guide, we’ll walk through how to move a Git repository step-by-step while maintaining its full history.

Why Move a Git Repository?

There are several scenarios where moving a repository makes sense:

  • Changing Hosting Providers: For example, moving from GitHub to Bitbucket or GitLab.
  • Restructuring Projects: Aligning repositories to match new project structures or teams.
  • Repository Consolidation: Merging several repositories into a single unified project.

The goal is to complete the move without losing code history, branches, or tags—ensuring continuity in your development workflow.

Step-by-Step Process

1. Clone the original repository into a temporary directory

git clone <url-to-ORI-repo> temp-dir

2. Navigate into the new directory

cd temp-dir

3. List all branches in the original repository

git branch -a

4. Checkout the branches you want to copy

git checkout branch-name

5. Fetch all tags from the original repository

git fetch --tags

6. Verify the branches and tags have been fetched correctly

git tag
git branch -a

7. Remove the link to the original repository

git remote rm origin

8. Add the new repository as the origin

git remote add origin <url to NEW repo>

9. Push all branches and tags to the new repository

git push origin --all
git push origin --tags

10. Done!

You now have a complete copy of the original repository in your new remote.

Alternative: Use git clone --mirror

For a complete migration, including all refs and branches, you can clone with the --mirror option:

git clone --mirror <url to ORI repo> temp-dir

Then push to the new remote as in the steps above.

Best Practices for Migration

  • Check Access Permissions: Ensure you have the correct rights for both repositories.
  • Audit Dependencies: Large projects may require special handling for Git LFS files.
  • Automate if Possible: For frequent migrations, consider scripting or integrating the process into your CI/CD pipeline.

Conclusion

Moving a Git repository while preserving history is a critical task that can be done with careful planning and execution. Following these steps ensures a smooth transition, preventing disruptions to your development workflow.

Reference: Atlassian, Git Move Repository Tutorial, https://www.atlassian.com/git/tutorials/git-move-repository