GitHub is the world’s leading platform for hosting and sharing code, making it easy for developers to collaborate on projects. However, GitHub doesn’t offer a direct way to download only a folder from a repository through its web interface. This can be frustrating if you don’t want to download the entire project.
Fortunately, there are a few simple workarounds to download a specific folder from a GitHub repository. In this blog, we’ll walk you through several effective methods.
✅ Option 1: Download the Entire Repository (Quickest for Beginners)
If the folder you want is not too large, it might be easiest to just download the whole project.
Steps:
- Navigate to the GitHub repository.
- Click the green “Code” button.
- Select “Download ZIP”.
- Extract the ZIP file and access the folder you need.
💡 Pros: Easy and quick.
❌ Cons: You get the entire repository, which might be large.
✅ Option 2: Use Download Directory
This is a free tool developed by GitHub engineers that allows you to download specific folders.
Steps:
- Go to https://download-directory.github.io/
- Paste the URL of the folder from the GitHub repository (e.g.,
https://github.com/user/repo/tree/main/foldername) - Click Download.
💡 Pros: No need to clone or install anything.
❌ Cons: Doesn’t support private repositories.
✅ Option 3: Use Git (Advanced Method)
If you’re familiar with Git, you can sparse-checkout to pull only specific folders.
Steps:
- Open your terminal or Git Bash.
- Run the following commands:
# Clone the repo but don’t download files yet
git clone --no-checkout https://github.com/user/repo.git
cd repo
# Enable sparse checkout
git sparse-checkout init --cone
git sparse-checkout set path/to/folder
# Pull only that folder
git checkout main
💡 Pros: Efficient for large repositories.
❌ Cons: Requires Git and some command-line knowledge.
✅ Option 4: Use GitHub.dev (For Browsing and Copying)
You can browse and copy code directly using GitHub’s web-based editor.
Steps:
- Go to the folder in the repo.
- Press
.(period key) or change the URL togithub.dev(e.g.,https://github.dev/user/repo) - Browse the folder in VS Code-like interface and copy needed files.
💡 Pros: Quick preview/edit without downloading.
❌ Cons: Manual file copying; not suitable for binary files or many files.
Conclusion
While GitHub doesn’t offer a native “Download Folder” button, there are multiple efficient workarounds depending on your needs and technical comfort level.
Summary:
| Method | Best For | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Download ZIP | Beginners, small repos | None |
| download-directory.github.io | Public folders only | Internet browser |
| Git Sparse Checkout | Advanced users, large repos | Git installed |
| GitHub.dev | Quick previews, copying single files | GitHub account (optional) |
Choose the method that suits your workflow and get exactly what you need from any GitHub repository—fast and efficiently.
