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Import from a git URL

Bibliogon can clone a public git repository that follows the write-book-template structure and import it as a new book.

How to use it

  1. Open the import wizard from the dashboard.
  2. Paste the repository URL in the "Import from a git URL" field at the top of Step 1.
  3. Click Clone + Import.

Bibliogon clones the repository into a temporary staging directory, runs the usual format detection, shows you a preview panel, and imports on confirm.

Accepted URL shapes

  • https://github.com/user/repo
  • https://github.com/user/repo.git
  • git@github.com:user/repo.git
  • ssh://git@host/user/repo.git

What is out of scope today

The first release of plugin-git-sync covers import-only for public repositories. The following are deferred:

  • Authentication for private repositories (basic HTTPS, SSH keys, GitHub tokens).
  • Selecting a branch or tag — the default branch is cloned.
  • Shallow clones for large repositories.
  • Git LFS handling.
  • Pushing Bibliogon edits back to the repository ("sync-back").
  • Smart-merge when re-importing a repository that has changed since the last import.

What happens if the clone fails

The wizard stops on the error step and shows the git error message. Typical causes:

  • Typo in the URL.
  • The repository does not exist or is private.
  • Network is unreachable.
  • The remote took longer than 120 seconds (timeout).

Fix the cause and click Retry.

What happens if the cloned repository is not a book

If the repository exists but does not match the write-book-template structure (no config/metadata.yaml, no manuscript/ directory), the import proceeds via the generic folder importer. The resulting book may be empty. Delete it from the trash and try a different URL.

  • Git backup — the core feature that versions a book you are editing in Bibliogon. Orthogonal to git URL import: one pulls a book in, the other tracks changes to one that is already in Bibliogon.