How to Restore a Deleted GitHub Repository

Accidentally deleted a GitHub repository? Don't panic. In many cases, you can restore it directly from GitHub.

GitHub generally allows eligible deleted repositories to be restored within 90 days of deletion.

1. Sign in to GitHub

Go to GitHub and sign in to the account that owned the deleted repository.

2. Open Settings

Click your profile picture in the top-right corner and select Settings.

3. Go to Repositories

In the left sidebar, find Code, planning, and automation and select Repositories.

4. Open Deleted Repositories

Look for the Deleted repositories section.

GitHub will show repositories that are currently available for restoration.

5. Find Your Repository

Find the repository you accidentally deleted.

For example:

Deleted repositories

my-project
website-api
my-awesome-app

                    Restore

Click Restore next to the repository you want to recover.

6. Confirm the Restoration

GitHub will show a confirmation message.

Click:

I understand, restore this repository

Your repository should now be restored.

What If You Just Deleted It?

If you deleted the repository very recently and don't see it in the list, wait up to one hour and check again.

What Gets Restored?

GitHub can restore the repository and its contents, but some settings may need to be configured again.

For example:

• Team permissions may need to be restored.
• Some repository settings may need to be checked.
• Verify branches and other important repository features after restoration.

What If the Repository Is Not Available for Restoration?

If the repository is older than the normal 90-day restoration window, GitHub may no longer be able to restore it.

If you have a local clone, however, you may still be able to recover the Git history.

Check your local repository:

cd my-project

git log --oneline
git branch -a
git remote -v

If your .git directory is intact, your commits and branches may still be available locally.

You can create a new GitHub repository and push your local repository to it:

git remote remove origin
git remote add origin https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/NEW-REPOSITORY.git

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

Important: Back Up Your Repositories

To avoid losing your repository in the future, consider keeping a mirror backup:

git clone --mirror https://github.com/USERNAME/REPOSITORY.git

A mirror clone preserves Git references and history and can be useful for disaster recovery.

Quick Checklist

• Sign in to GitHub
• Open Settings → Repositories
• Open Deleted repositories
• Find your repository
• Click Restore
• Confirm the restoration
• Verify your files and Git history
• Check permissions and repository settings
• Create a backup

Final Tip

If you accidentally deleted a repository, don't immediately create a new repository with the same name. First check GitHub's Deleted repositories section and see whether the original repository can be restored.

For more details, see the official GitHub documentation.