Archiving a repository #

This page is for designers at the end of a theme's life (End of life).

Archive, never delete #

An archived GitHub repository is read-only: code, tags and releases remain, so Composer can still install every version. Deleting it breaks every site that installs from it and every link to it.

Step by step #

1. Publish the last release and the end-of-life notice first (Announcing end of life).

2. Archive the repository:

   gh repo archive yourvendor/mytheme --yes

   or Settings > Archive this repository in the browser.

3. Check: gh repo view yourvendor/mytheme --json isArchived prints "isArchived": true.

4. On Packagist, open the package's page and mark it Abandoned, naming the successor package if there is one. Composer then warns users who install it and names the successor.

5. Test that it still installs: composer require yourvendor/mytheme in a throwaway installation.

Undoing #

An archive can be undone (Unarchive) if someone takes the theme over (Handing a theme over).

Related pages #

• Transferring the repository and the Packagist package
• Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.