Git Version Control for AI Builders: Best Practices & Workflows

You spent three weeks building an app in your favorite AI coding tool. It worked. You then started working on a new feature. You built it, made changes, saved… and discovered your new feature is broken and the original app is ruined too.

This isn't a bug with your AI coding tool. This is what happens when you ship AI-generated code without version control. The good news? You can protect yourself in 15 minutes.

This guide shows you the exact Git workflow that prevents lost work and enables fast iteration—no matter which AI builder you use.

Why Git Matters When AI Writes Your Code

You're racing to revenue, not learning Git workflows. But here's the truth: losing work is slower than learning the basics.

When AI generates 90% of your code, Git becomes your production ledger. Every commit is a restore point. Every branch is a safe experiment space.

One developer put it perfectly after exporting from Lovable without Git:

"I have no version history, no way to test things separately. It's a house of cards and I'm scared to touch anything."

Think of Git as your undo button for entire features. When an AI prompt goes wrong (and it will), you rewind in seconds instead of rebuilding for hours.

First step: The second you export from Lovable, Base44, or Bolt, open your terminal (Terminal on Mac, Command Prompt or PowerShell on Windows) and navigate to your project folder. Then run:

Terminal
1git init
2git add .
3git commit -m "Initial export from [platform]"

Then create a private GitHub repo and push:

Terminal
1gh repo create my-app --private
2git remote add origin https://github.com/you/my-app.git
3git push -u origin main

Takes 2 minutes. Saves days of recovery work later.

You can also prompt Cursor or Claude to create a GitHub repo for you:

Cursor / Claude Code
1Initialize the repo
2set remote to https://github.com/you/my-app.git
3do an initial commit and push

The Three Mistakes That Erase Hours of Work

These happen in week one, before you realize you need the ability to rollback safely.

Mistake 1: Working Directly on Main

You've exported code from your AI coding tool and started working on a new feature. Something breaks. Now you're debugging instead of shipping. This is what happens when you ship AI-generated code without version control.

The fix: Never work on main. Use feature branches for every change.

Terminal
1# Before every AI coding session
2git checkout -b feature/add-user-login
3
4# Make changes, test locally
5git add .
6git commit -m "User login working"
7

You can also prompt Cursor or Claude to create a feature branch for you:

Cursor / Claude Code
1Create a feature branch for the user login feature

Then, if it works, merge it to main:

Terminal
1# If it works, merge it
2git checkout main
3git merge feature/add-user-login

You can also prompt Cursor or Claude to merge the feature branch to main for you:

Cursor / Claude Code
1Merge the feature branch for the user login feature to main

If AI broke it, delete the branch and start over:

Terminal
1# If AI broke it, delete the branch and start over
2git checkout main
3git branch -D feature/add-user-login

You can also prompt Cursor or Claude to delete the feature branch for you:

Cursor / Claude Code
1Delete the feature branch for the user login feature

Your production code stays safe. AI experiments stay isolated.

Mistake 2: Keeping Secrets Only in Your AI Coding Tool's Environment Settings

You store API keys in your AI coding tool's environment settings. If you want to move off the tool like Lovable, Replit, or Base44 to manage your own code with GitHub and run it locally, you're stuck. Nothing works.

The fix: Keep a .env.example file in Git (without actual secrets):

1# .env.example - commit this
2STRIPE_PUBLIC_KEY=pk_test_...
3OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
4DATABASE_URL=postgresql://...

The .env.example is helpful to document what secrets are needed to run your app.

Fix 2: Keep a .env file with the actual secrets so your app runs locally. Add it to your .gitignore file so it's not committed to Git.

1# .env - NEVER commit this (add to .gitignore)
2STRIPE_PUBLIC_KEY=pk_test_abc123real
3OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-xyz789real
4DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@localhost/db

Now you have a template. When disaster strikes, you know exactly which secrets to re-create.

What is the .env file?

The .env file is a file that contains environment variables for your app. It's a way to store sensitive data like API keys and secrets so they're not committed to Git.

What is the difference between a .env.local and a .env file?

It's the same thing. Choose one and stick with it. We prefer using .env for consistency.

What is the .gitignore file?

The .gitignore file is a list of files and directories that Git should ignore. It's a way to prevent sensitive data from being committed to Git.

Mistake 3: Downloading Projects Without Git

Some people download their Lovable, Replit, or Base44 projects from the UI. Then edit the code directly.

The fix: Always connect to GitHub, then clone the repo locally.

Terminal
1# Clone your project
2git clone https://github.com/you/project.git project-copy

BrainGrid's GitHub integration tracks requirements across branches—so can keep track what each branch is doing.

The Ideal Git Workflow for AI Builders

Here's the branching strategy that keeps your code safe while moving fast.

Branch Structure

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Two main branches:

• main - Production code that's live or ready to ship
• dev - Integration branch for features being built

Feature branches: One per feature, created from dev

Daily Workflow

Morning: Start fresh from dev

Terminal
1git checkout dev
2git pull origin dev
3git checkout -b feature/user-profile

During work: Commit every time something works

Terminal
1# Test your change, it works!
2git add .
3git commit -m "User profile page displaying correctly"

End of day: Push your feature branch

Terminal
1git push origin feature/user-profile

When feature is done: Create PR to dev

Cursor / Claude Code
1Create a Pull Request from the feature/user-profile
2branch to the dev branch

When dev has multiple features ready: Merge to main

1# On GitHub, create Pull Request: dev → main
2# Review all changes, merge PR
3# Tag the release
4git checkout main
5git pull origin main
6git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "First production release"
7git push origin v1.0.0

Claude Code / Cursor prompt:

Cursor / Claude Code
1Create a Pull Request from the dev branch to the main branch

Pull Request Process

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Feature → dev Pull Request: Review individual changes, merge quickly

dev → main Pull Request: Review entire release, test thoroughly, then merge and tag

This gives you:

• Safe experiments on feature branches
• Integration testing on dev
• Clean, tagged production releases on main

Branch Naming Best Practices

Use descriptive names that explain what you're building:

Terminal
1# ✅ Good
2feature/stripe-checkout
3feature/email-notifications
4fix/dashboard-loading
5hotfix/payment-webhook
6
7# ❌ Bad
8feature/new-stuff
9fix/bug
10my-branch

Pattern: type/short-description

Types:

• feature/ - New functionality
• fix/ - Bug fixes
• hotfix/ - Urgent production fixes
• refactor/ - Code cleanup without behavior change

Daily Habits That Prevent Disasters

These take 30 seconds but save hours of recovery work.

Morning Routine

Terminal
1# Sync latest changes
2git checkout dev
3git pull origin dev
4
5# Create today's feature branch
6git checkout -b feature/todays-work

After Every Working Feature

Terminal
1# It works! Lock it in.
2git add .
3git commit -m "Feature X working: [brief description]"

Don't wait until the feature is "perfect." Commit when it works, even if it's ugly.

Before AI Prompts That Regenerate Code

Terminal
1# Safety commit before letting AI regenerate
2git add .
3git commit -m "Before AI regeneration - working state"

Now if the AI breaks everything, you're one command away from safety:

Terminal
1git reset --hard HEAD

End of Day

Terminal
1# Cloud backup - never lose work
2git push origin feature/todays-work

Even if your laptop dies, your work is safe on GitHub.

The payoff: With these habits, you can ship several features per week to beta users instead of getting stuck trying to fix one feature that's broken, accelerating the feedback loops that inform your product roadmap.

BrainGrid's task system reminds you to commit after completing each task—turning version control into a built-in habit instead of something you remember after disaster strikes.

When Disaster Strikes: Recovery Playbook

Even with perfect habits, AI builders sometimes create chaos.

Scenario 1: AI Broke Everything (But You Committed)

Find your last working commit:

Terminal
1git log --oneline
2# Shows: abc1234 Feature X working
3#        def5678 Before AI regeneration
4#        ghi9012 Login flow complete
5
6git reset --hard def5678

You're back to the working state. The AI's chaos is gone.

Important: Only use --force when pushing to feature branches, never to main:

Terminal
1git push origin feature/broken-thing --force

Scenario 2: Accidentally Committed Secrets

Undo the last commit, keep your changes:

Terminal
1git reset --soft HEAD~1
2
3# Remove secrets from files, add to .gitignore
4echo "API_KEY=sk-real-secret" >> .env
5echo ".env" >> .gitignore
6
7# Commit again without secrets
8git add .
9git commit -m "Fixed: removed secrets from commit"

Scenario 3: Total Catastrophe (No Recent Commits)

Use the AI builder's version history:

Base44: Click clock icon → restore last working version → export immediately → commit

Lovable: Check GitHub commits (if auto-sync enabled) → revert to working commit

No Git, no builder history: You're rebuilding from memory. Don't let this be you.

The Nuclear Option

If everything is broken and Git history is tangled:

Terminal
1# Clone a fresh copy from last known good point
2git clone https://github.com/you/project.git project-recovery
3cd project-recovery
4git checkout <commit-hash-that-worked>
5
6# Copy your .env file back
7cp ../old-project/.env .
8
9# Start fresh branch from here
10git checkout -b feature/rebuild

Recovery speed matters: 10 minutes of downtime vs. 10 hours determines whether you keep customer trust and revenue momentum.

Quick Reference: Essential Git Commands

Setup & Daily Use

Terminal
1# Start new feature
2git checkout dev
3git pull origin dev
4git checkout -b feature/my-feature
5
6# Save progress
7git add .
8git commit -m "Description of what works"
9git push origin feature/my-feature
10
11# Merge feature to dev (via PR on GitHub)
12# Then locally:
13git checkout dev
14git pull origin dev

When Things Break

Terminal
1# See what changed
2git status
3git diff
4
5# Undo changes (not committed yet)
6git checkout -- filename.ts
7
8# Undo last commit (keep changes)
9git reset --soft HEAD~1
10
11# Undo last commit (discard changes)
12git reset --hard HEAD~1
13
14# Go back to any commit
15git log --oneline
16git reset --hard <commit-hash>

Branch Management

Terminal
1# List branches
2git branch -a
3
4# Delete local branch
5git branch -D feature/old-thing
6
7# Delete remote branch
8git push origin --delete feature/old-thing
9
10# Rename current branch
11git branch -m new-name

Start Protecting Your Work Today

Here's your 15-minute setup:

1. Initialize Git in your exported project
2. Create GitHub repo and push
3. Create dev branch from main
4. Make a .gitignore file (add .env, node_modules, .next)
5. Commit daily - make it a habit

The first time you need to rollback a broken AI generation, you'll be glad you did.

Version control isn't about "adding complexity." It's about protecting the hours you invested and shipping faster to paying customers.