gitload

Download files, folders, or entire repos from GitHub URLs using the gitload CLI.

When to Use

Use gitload when:

• Downloading a specific folder from a repo (not the whole repo)


• Fetching a single file from GitHub


• Downloading repo contents without git history


• Creating a ZIP archive of GitHub content


• Accessing private repos with authentication

Do NOT use gitload when:

• Full git history is needed (use git clone instead)


• The repo is already cloned locally


• Working with non-GitHub repositories

Prerequisites

Run gitload via npx (no install needed):

npx gitload-cli

Or install globally:

npm install -g gitload-cli

Basic Usage

Download entire repo

gitload

Creates a repo/ folder in the current directory.

Download a specific folder

gitload

Creates a components/ folder with just that folder's contents.

Download a single file

gitload

Download to a custom location

gitload  -o ./my-source

Download contents flat to current directory

gitload  -o .

Download as ZIP

gitload  -z ./repo.zip

Authentication (for private repos or rate limits)

Using gh CLI (recommended)

gitload  --gh

Requires prior gh auth login.

Using explicit token

gitload  --token ghp_xxxx

Using environment variable

export GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_xxxx
gitload

Token priority: --token > GITHUB_TOKEN > --gh

URL Formats

gitload accepts standard GitHub URLs:

• Repo root: - **Folder:**


• File: ## Common Patterns ### Scaffold from a template folder __CODE_BLOCK_11__ ### Grab example code __CODE_BLOCK_12__ ### Download docs for offline reading __CODE_BLOCK_13__ ### Fetch a single config file __CODE_BLOCK_14__ ## Options Reference | Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | -o, --output | Output directory (default: folder named after URL path) | | -z, --zip | Save as ZIP file at the specified path | | -t, --token | GitHub personal access token | | --gh | Use token from gh CLI | | --no-color | Disable colored output | | -h, --help | Display help | | -V, --version | Output version | ## Error Handling If gitload fails: 1. **404 errors:** Verify the URL exists and is accessible 2. **Rate limit errors:** Add authentication with --gh or --token 3. **Permission errors:** For private repos, ensure token has repo scope 4. **Network errors:** Check internet connectivity ## Notes - gitload downloads content via GitHub's API, not git protocol - No git history is preserved (use git clone` if history is needed)


• Large repos may take time; consider downloading specific folders


• Output directory is created if it doesn't exist