---
title: "Upload a codebase as a zip"
description: "Start setup from a zip of your project when the code is not on GitHub or you cannot install the GitHub App."
url: https://help.modeinspect.com/en/articles/16-upload-a-codebase-as-a-zip
collection: "Set up your codebase"
updated: 2026-10-28
language: en
---

# Upload a codebase as a zip

Start setup from a zip of your project when the code is not on GitHub or you cannot install the GitHub App.

Uploading a zip starts setup from a copy of your project instead of a GitHub repository. Use it when the code is not on GitHub yet, or when nobody can install the GitHub App right now.

**Before you start**

-   Zip the project folder itself, the one that contains `package.json`. Leave out `node_modules` and build output: they are not needed, and the zip has to stay under 300 MB.
    
-   Modeinspect supports React and Next.js styled with Tailwind.
    

## Steps

1.  Click **Add Codebase** in the sidebar. Codebase Setup opens with **Connect a New Codebase**.
    
2.  Drag the zip from your file manager onto **Drag & drop your codebase here**. The area turns blue while you hold the file over it.
    
    ![The Upload local codebase area in Codebase Setup, highlighted](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/p6a1872808f187689a3937fa3/qW0vn86KWbTV5ynaU37jNrl4Y13WKlwKawxVCv9HHFo775mbZPm5Re3Kfn9r6NV8jD61BMkh0t3.png)
3.  Drop it. The card shows the file name and its size, with **Change** to pick a different file.
    
    ![The Connect a New Codebase card after the drop, showing demo-shop.zip with its size and the Change button](https://staticfiles.gleap.io/p6a1872808f187689a3937fa3/s0BqX76fEiZy2UTWfCqQ56afEvO0mFNQvWi8QDmthEgkpbPlJhe6VO4lWwrRzAPEMEWdLr89oav.png)
4.  Click **Continue**. The card fills up while the file uploads, then **Codebase setup** opens with the name of your project. What follows is in [What happens during setup](https://help.modeinspect.com/en/articles/17-what-happens-during-setup.md).
    

> **Note:** Clicking the upload area instead of dropping onto it opens a folder picker, not a file picker. Pick your project folder there to upload it without zipping. `node_modules` and `.git` are skipped.

## If it does not work

-   **Codebase exceeds our 300MB limit**: the zip is too big to upload. Remove `node_modules`, build output, and large media from the folder, zip it again, and drop the new file.
    

## Related

-   [What happens during setup](https://help.modeinspect.com/en/articles/17-what-happens-during-setup.md)
    
-   [Connect a GitHub repository](https://help.modeinspect.com/en/articles/11-connect-a-github-repository.md)
    
-   [Start from a blank codebase](https://help.modeinspect.com/en/articles/15-start-from-a-blank-codebase.md)

## Related

- [Connect a GitHub repository](https://help.modeinspect.com/en/articles/11-connect-a-github-repository.md)
- [Start from a blank codebase](https://help.modeinspect.com/en/articles/15-start-from-a-blank-codebase.md)
- [What happens during setup](https://help.modeinspect.com/en/articles/17-what-happens-during-setup.md)
- [Answer Auto-setup's questions](https://help.modeinspect.com/en/articles/10-answer-auto-setup-s-questions.md)
- [Review and verify the setup config](https://help.modeinspect.com/en/articles/14-review-and-verify-the-setup-config.md)