How to export your code from Lovable, Bolt or Emergent and keep it running
Lovable and Bolt both document how to take your code out, through GitHub sync and a zip download. Emergent now documents its steps in its own help centre, and our separate note on moving an Emergent app covers them. Whichever builder you use, the code is only part of the app. The database, stored files, sign-in settings and secrets have to move with it, or the exported app will not run.
Lovable
- GitHub sync. Git sync works with GitHub, GitLab and Bitbucket, and Lovable lists github.com as available on all plans. It creates a new private repository, syncs both ways on one branch at a time, and cannot link an existing repository. GitHub rejects files over 100 MB, and Lovable cannot save files over 10 MB (Lovable, GitHub).
- Zip download. On paid plans, Download codebase at the bottom of the file panel, or in Project settings, Git, saves the project as a zip. A single file can be downloaded on any plan (Lovable, Code mode).
- What does not come with the code. Lovable says to export the database and download storage files separately, and that the code export does not include them (Lovable, ownership options).
Bolt
- Zip download. On desktop, click the project title at the top left and choose Download, unzip it, then run npm install and npm run dev with Node.js installed (Bolt help, Manage your projects).
- GitHub. Click the GitHub icon at the top right, log in and authorise. Bolt commits each change that does not break the project, checks GitHub every 30 seconds for outside updates, and stays linked to the main branch. Only the project owner can connect it (Bolt help, GitHub).
Emergent
When this note was first written on 14 November 2026 we could not find Emergent's export steps in documentation of its own. Emergent's help centre now documents them, including Save to GitHub; see how to move an Emergent app off the platform and own the code. Its marketing page says the code is generated as code you own, lists GitHub-connected commits under its Standard plan, and does not say how an export is started or whether sync runs both ways (Emergent, self-hosted websites). Ask Emergent's support for the current steps for your plan, then test them: export, clone into an empty folder and run the app outside Emergent before you rely on it. For more on Emergent, including the help centre pages we found on 15 November 2026, read how to move an Emergent app off the platform.
Keeping it running after the export
- Build and host. Lovable's guide says an older React and Vite app builds with npm run build on Node.js 22 into dist, needs a static host, and needs a fallback so client-side routes return index.html. A TanStack Start app needs a host that runs a server (Lovable, hosting outside Lovable). On Cloudflare, the single-page-application setting in the assets block of the Wrangler config does this, and npx wrangler deploy ships an existing project (Cloudflare, React on Workers). Bolt's help gives the same fix as a redirect rule, /* /index.html 200.
- Environment variables. Browser values such as the Supabase URL and key are embedded at build time, so rebuild after changing them. Server secrets are not in the repository and must be set on the new host.
- Database and storage. Lovable names managed or self-hosted Supabase as the supported destinations for its backend. Users keep their passwords through the export, but signed-in sessions do not carry over, and exports can run once every 24 hours.
- Sign-in. Add the new production address to your allowed redirect URLs, and update OAuth providers. We cover the failure in Lovable login not working after you publish.
- Things that stay behind. App connectors, AI features and managed sign-in or email may keep depending on Lovable, and the editor cannot be self-hosted. Lovable says to check each service you rely on with support before removing the original.
A checklist that works for any builder
Our own advice. Clone the repository into an empty folder and build it. Run it on the new host with a copy of the data. Test sign-up, sign-in, uploads, forms and payments. Check that Google can still index it and what crawlers receive. Keep the original running until every check passes; Lovable gives the same advice before retiring the original.
When you want it done for you
Exporting gets you the files; running them well is the harder half. App Rescue and Move to Cloudflare can move the app to Cloudflare as code you own, from $2,999 USD with a fixed quote first. The AI-Built App Audit ($299 USD) shows what to fix before you move, and App Triage ($99 USD) is the smallest first step. Moving the database as well? Read what moves and what changes on Cloudflare Workers and D1.
Sources
- Sync your Lovable project with GitHub, Lovable docs
- View and edit your project's code, Lovable docs
- Deployment, hosting, and ownership options with Lovable, Lovable docs
- Deploying and hosting outside Lovable, Lovable docs
- Manage your projects, Bolt help centre
- GitHub for version control, Bolt help centre
- Build a self-hosted website that you own, Emergent
- React on Cloudflare Workers, Cloudflare docs