Claude Backup

Claude Backup — ~/.claude to GitHub

Use the claude-backup CLI to back up and sync your Claude Code configuration, skills, memory, and settings to a private GitHub repo.

Quick Reference

Run these via Bash:

# Smart default: init if first time, sync if already set up
claude-backup

# One-shot setup (creates repo, installs scheduler + hooks)
claude-backup init
claude-backup init --repo my-custom-name

# Manual sync
claude-backup sync

# Health check
claude-backup status
claude-backup status --json

# Scheduler management
claude-backup daemon install
claude-backup daemon install --interval 15
claude-backup daemon uninstall
claude-backup daemon status

# Hook management
claude-backup hook install
claude-backup hook uninstall
claude-backup hook status

What gets backed up

• CLAUDE.md — global instructions
• skills/ — custom skills
• agents/ — agent definitions
• settings.json — permissions, model config
• keybindings.json — key mappings
• plugins/installed_plugins.json — plugin registry
• projects/*/memory/ — per-project persistent memory
• hooks/ — hook scripts

What's excluded

• Session transcripts (JSONL — ephemeral, large)
• Credentials and secrets (.credentials.json, *.local.json)
• Debug logs, cache, telemetry
• Plugin marketplace cache

How it works

Three-layer backup:

1. Passive: Claude Code hooks auto-sync after tool use (5-min debounce)
2. Scheduled: launchd (macOS) or cron (Linux) every 30 min
3. Manual: claude-backup sync

Git-native — works directly in ~/.claude (no file copying). Commit messages are category-aware:

vault-sync 2026-03-10 14:30 (3 memories, 1 skill, 2 config)

Cross-machine sync

Auto-remaps project memory directories when usernames differ between machines.

Requirements

• git (required)
• gh CLI (optional — for automatic private repo creation)
• Install: npm install -g @lucasygu/claude-backup