What the fork network actually does
You forked a repository to build on it, and now the project has drifted from its upstream.
Maybe you are taking the work in a different direction, or you want to maintain a distinct version without every upstream change flowing in.
The question is whether to detach the fork from its fork network and make it a standalone repository — and that decision is permanent, so it deserves a real check before you act.
This guide walks through the documented eligibility conditions, what a standalone repository keeps and loses, and the manual alternative when the one-click option is not available.
By the end you will know whether your fork qualifies and what you would give up by detaching it.
When you fork a repository on GitHub, your fork and its upstream share the same Git data.
That connection is what GitHub calls the fork network.
This is also what lets the fork and pull model work smoothly.
You may fork an upstream repository with read access when its owner allows it. Pushing to your own fork needs no upstream permission.
That is why the model is popular in open source.
GitHub's documentation notes that a standalone repository will no longer automatically sync with changes from the original repository; staying in the network keeps that connection.
If you are tracking upstream closely, that is a benefit.
If you are diverging, it is friction.
When leaving the fork network is an option
GitHub documents three conditions for using the built-in leave-network option.
All of them must hold:
- The fork is public.
- The fork is less than 1GB.
- The fork has no child forks attached.
If any one of these fails, the leave-network option does not apply to your fork.
The documented alternative in that case is the manual clone-and-mirror path described later in this article.
To use the leave-network option, you need admin access to the forked repository.
On the repository's main page, open Settings, scroll to the Danger Zone on the General settings page, and click Leave fork network.
GitHub asks you to confirm that you have read and understand the effects, and to type the fork's name to verify you are detaching the correct repository.
While the fork is being detached, some operations will be briefly unavailable.
They come back once the fork becomes a standalone repository.