Migrate Repositories from Bitbucket to GitHub

Most of the first page of results when you Google how to migrate or import repos from Bitbucket to GitHub show a variety of import methods, mostly command line.

If you want to do this on easy mode, GitHub has a tool that Just Works(TM). The most complicated bit — which isn't — is that you'll need to set up a BitBucket App Password.1

  1. Create a Bitbucket App Password
    Click on the cog in the top nav and Personal Bitbucket Settings, click on App passwords in the left nav, and click on the Create app password button. Give it a Label and and Read access on Repositories. Click on Save and store the password somewhere safe.
  2. Use the GitHub Import Tool
    You can access this from the + icon dropdown in the top nav and Import Repository.
  3. Use the HTTPS clone url from Bitbucket. The username@ prefix is fine here, but you'll still need it in the next step.
  4. Provide the username from step 3 and app password from step 1 as credentials.
  5. Fill out the rest of the form and click Begin Import.

It will take a bit, during which time you can go do something else, but that's it.


Footnotes

  1. Some sources say this only applies if you have 2FA, but you need it either way.

Published January 28, 2025