Frequently asked questions
Common questions about downloading GitHub directories.
Why can’t I just download a folder from GitHub?
GitHub only offers a “Download ZIP” button for an entire repository. To grab a single folder you would normally have to clone the whole repo. This tool lets you download just the directory you need.
Is it safe to enter my GitHub token?
For private repositories you can paste a personal access token. It is stored only in your own browser’s local storage and is sent directly to GitHub’s API — never to our servers. Use a fine-grained token with read-only access to the specific repositories you need.
Does it work with Git LFS files?
Yes. Large Storage files return a small pointer instead of real content, so we detect them and download the actual file from GitHub’s media endpoint.
Are there download limits?
Yes — GitHub’s API is rate-limited (60 requests/hour without a token, 5,000/hour with one). Very large repositories may also hit the tree API truncation limit, in which case the tool falls back to listing folders one by one.
Why are some files blocked?
Google Safe Browsing can flag certain file names. Any file whose name looks like malware is skipped so the rest of the archive still downloads. This is shown in the status log.
Do you store my downloads?
No. GitDownloader is a static website. File contents are fetched by your browser straight from GitHub and zipped locally. Nothing is uploaded to or kept on our servers.