Migrating from Bitbucket to GitHub

You can migrate the repository with its branches, tags, and commit history, but you must review service settings and Bitbucket-specific data separately.

Method 1: Via GitHub Desktop

After cloning, the repository contains a .git folder with a remote pointing to Bitbucket — the Publish Repository button won’t appear. You need to delete .git and create a new repository:

1. Clone the repository: File → Clone Repository → URL → paste the Bitbucket HTTPS URL → Clone
2. Open the repository folder in Explorer (Windows) or Finder (macOS)
3. Show hidden files and delete the .git folder:
   - Windows: View → Hidden items → delete the .git folder
   - macOS: Cmd+Shift+. (dot) → delete the .git folder to Trash
4. Switch back to GitHub Desktop — it will show a «Can’t find …» screen. Click Remove
5. Add the folder as a new repository:
   - Windows: File → New Repository… → Name: folder name → Local Path: parent folder → Create Repository
   - macOS: Current Repository → Add → Create New Repository… → Name: folder name → Local Path: parent folder → Create Repository
6. Click Publish Repository → uncheck Keep this code private → Publish Repository

Commit history is not preserved with this method. To migrate history — use Method 2 or 3.

Method 2: Git Mirror via Command Line

# 1. Clone from Bitbucket
git clone --bare https://bitbucket.org/username/repo.git

# 2. Mirror push to GitHub
cd repo.git
git push --mirror https://github.com/username/repo.git

# 3. Remove the temporary folder and clone from GitHub
cd ..
rm -rf repo.git
git clone https://github.com/username/repo.git

--bare — Git data only. --mirror — copies all branches, tags, and full history.

Method 3: GitHub Import

1. Go to github.com/new/import
2. Paste the Bitbucket URL
3. If needed, enter credentials (App Password for Bitbucket with 2FA)
4. Choose a repository name, Public/Private → Begin import

What Transfers

After Migration

Set up GitHub Actions (replacing Bitbucket Pipelines):

# .github/workflows/ci.yml
name: CI
on: [push, pull_request]
jobs:
  test:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Run tests
        run: npm test

Update the remote for team members:

git remote set-url origin https://github.com/username/repo.git
git fetch

Also update: README links, CI/CD secrets, webhooks, documentation.

Platform Comparison

Common Issues

Authentication failed with 2FA: use an App Password instead of your regular password (Bitbucket → Personal Settings → App Passwords).

Large repository (> 1 GB): remove large files with git filter-branch or BFG Repo-Cleaner before migrating.