Duplicate and transfer

Two tools help when a project needs to change hands or branch off:

• Duplicate makes a fresh copy of your app in a new project, so you can experiment without touching the original.
• Transfer gives the whole project to another person, for example a client you built it for. They become the owner and take over the costs.

Duplicate a project

A copy starts from the latest version of your app. Making a copy is free; while its live preview is running, it uses a small amount of credit.

1. 1

   Open the duplicate dialog

   Click your project's name at the top left and choose Duplicate project. You can also right-click the project in the left sidebar and choose Duplicate.

2. 2

   Name the copy

   The name starts as "Copy of" plus your project's name. Change it if you like.

3. 3

   Decide about your API keys

   If the project has keys saved in Manage → Secrets, its owner can tick Also copy my API keys. The copy then uses the same keys, so anything it does with them, including charges, goes to the same accounts. Leave it unticked to add fresh keys later.

4. 4

   Make the copy

   Click Make a copy. Your new project opens when it's ready.

If the project uses a database you connected yourself, that connection isn't copied either.

If something couldn't be copied, the first message in your new project lists it.

Transfer a project to someone else

A transfer moves the whole project to another person's account. Nothing moves until they accept, and you keep full control until then.

Only the project's owner can start a transfer, and you need a confirmed email to send one.

1. 1

   Open Transfer project

   Click your project's name at the top left and choose Transfer project.

2. 2

   Enter the new owner's email

   Type their email under New owner's email. Before you send, the dialog lists What goes with it and What changes for this project, so you can see the consequences first.

3. 3

   Send it

   Click Send transfer. Buildliy emails them a link. You can also copy the link and send it yourself. The link works for 14 days.

4. 4

   Wait for them to accept

   While you wait, the dialog shows "Waiting for … to accept." Click Send again to send a fresh link (older links stop working), or Cancel transfer to stop it.

What moves to the new owner

• The code, every saved version and the chat.
• The live site and its web address. It stays online during the transfer.
• The app's database, including its users' accounts.
• Keys added in Manage → Secrets.
• Custom domains you connected (ones you bought elsewhere), still connected.

What changes

• Costs move. From the moment they accept, building and hosting are paid from their credits, not yours.
• You lose access. You, and any teammates who could open the project, can no longer open or edit it.
• Domains you bought through Buildliy stay yours. They keep working on the site, and you keep paying the yearly renewal. If they want it in their name, you can give them a transfer code from Settings → Billing once the domain is past its first 60 days. See Custom domains.
• Payments pause. If the app takes payments through your Stripe account, checkout pauses when the transfer is accepted, until the new owner connects their own Stripe.
• Your connected services stay with you. Services you connected on the Connectors page stop powering the app. The new owner connects their own.
• A database you connected yourself stays connected. Hand it over separately, or the new owner can connect their own.
• GitHub sync is turned off. The repository stays in your GitHub account.
• The app's built-in AI pauses. If it was on, it stays off until the new owner switches it back on in Manage → App AI.

Your dialog only lists the points that apply to your project. The new owner sees the built-in AI note when they review the transfer.

Accept a transfer

If someone sends you a project, you get an email with a link. If you sign in to Buildliy with that email (once it's confirmed), you also see a card on your dashboard, like "… wants to give you "My App"", with a Review button.

1. 1

   Open the link

   The link opens a page on Buildliy. If you're not signed in, click Create free account or Sign in. Use the email address the transfer was sent to, and confirm it if you haven't already.

2. 2

   Review what you get

   You see who sent it, the project's name and, when there is one, a screenshot, followed by What you get and Good to know. Read these before you decide. They say, for example, whether payments need your own Stripe, or whether a domain still belongs to the sender.

3. 3

   Accept or decline

   Click Accept project to take it over, or Decline to leave everything as it is. If you decline, the sender is told.

After you accept, you see "It's yours" and a short list called A few things to finish, such as:

• Connect your Stripe account so customers can pay again.
• Connect your own services that the app used.
• Switch the app's built-in AI back on in Manage → App AI.
• Publish once to finish moving the live site onto your account.

Click Open project to start working on it.

If the transfer won't go through

• "This was sent to a different email" Sign in with the account that received the link, or ask the sender to send it to your current email.
• "This transfer link has expired." Ask the sender to send it again.
• "A build is running on this project right now." Wait a few minutes for it to finish, then try again.

Related

• Teams
• Custom domains
• Publish your app
• Version history