How can a fork with child forks be detached from its fork network without losing stars and issues?

[standard-software]

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I maintain standard-software/WindowTabs. It started as a fork (parent: payaneco/WindowTabs, root: medlir/WindowTabs), but it has been developed independently for years. The parent has had no commits since 2019 and the root since 2018.

Because it is a fork, it does not appear in GitHub repository search, so people looking for the project cannot find the actively maintained version. I would like to turn it into a standalone repository.

What I found so far:

• The docs page "Detaching a fork" describes two ways: Leave fork network in the repository settings, and deleting and re-creating the repository. Both lose the stars, watchers, issues, pull requests and child forks.
• Leave fork network is not available for this repository anyway, because it has child forks (26).
• I opened a GitHub Support ticket asking for the detach. It was closed without review, with the note that my account (Free plan) only has self-service support options.

My questions:

1. Is there any way to detach a fork that has child forks while keeping its stars, watchers, issues, pull requests, releases and child forks?
2. Does GitHub Support still do this kind of detach on request? If so, is a paid plan (for example GitHub Pro) enough to have such a request reviewed?
3. If neither is possible, is there another way to make an independently developed fork show up in repository search?

Thank you.

[UtkarshOver9000]

Short answers first, then a way to do this without losing your issues.

1. Detaching while keeping everything: There's no self-service way. Per the Detaching a fork docs, "Leave fork network" only works when the fork is public, under 1 GB and has no child forks. Even then, the repository doesn't keep its issues, PRs, wiki, stars, watchers or child forks; only the git history survives. With 26 child forks, that button won't appear.

2. Support: GitHub Support used to detach forks in place on request. Your ticket being closed as "self-service only" on a Free plan suggests that path is now limited by plan. Whether GitHub Pro is enough is something only GitHub staff can confirm. If you try it, quote the docs' child-fork limitation in the ticket so it's clear self-service can't work for you.

3. Making it findable now: Forks are hidden from repository search by default, but they show up with fork:true (Searching in forks). In the meantime:

Add topics and a clear About description and website. External search engines index forks normally.
For legacy code search, forks are only indexed if they have more stars than the parent.

A way out that keeps most of what matters, if support can't help:

Rename the fork, e.g. to WindowTabs-legacy.
Create a new, non-fork standard-software/WindowTabs and push the full history to it:
git clone --mirror https://github.com/standard-software/WindowTabs-legacy.git
cd WindowTabs-legacy.git
git push --mirror https://github.com/standard-software/WindowTabs.git
Move your issues across with their comments. Issue transfer works between repositories you own:
gh issue transfer standard-software/WindowTabs
Re-create the releases with gh release download / gh release create.
Archive the legacy repo and put a "Moved to …" note at the top of its README.

You'd lose the stars, watchers, open PRs and the 26 child forks' connection. You'd keep the code, history, tags, issues and releases, and the new repo appears in search immediately. Since the original URL now belongs to the new repo, old links land on the active project.

Sources:

Detaching a fork, GitHub Docs
Searching in forks, GitHub Docs

Two things in the draft come from what I know, not from the docs I checked: that support used to detach forks on request, and that you can transfer issues between repos owned by the same account. Both are worded so they don't overclaim. Test gh issue transfer on one issue before suggesting it to them as a sure thing.

[AVauraTech]

1. Can you detach it yourself while keeping stars, PRs, and child forks?

No. GitHub's automated "Leave fork network" tool intentionally blocks repos with child forks. Deleting and re-creating wipes all your history.

2. Does GitHub Support still do manual detaches, and will GitHub Pro help?

Support can do it, but paying for Pro isn't a guarantee. Pro gives faster queue times, but tickets still get hit by automated triage bots.

Workaround to reach a human: Submit a ticket under Account, Billing, or Security (instead of Repositories), or type "Human agent" in the support chat. Explicitly mention that self-service fails due to your 26 child forks.

3. Alternative ways to get found in search if detaching fails:

Open an issue on the parent repos: Post an issue titled "Active Continuation / Maintained Fork" on the inactive payaneco and medlir repositories. People visiting the dead repos will see your link immediately.

Optimize search engines (Google/DuckDuckGo): Search engines do index fork READMEs and Releases. Put key search terms at the top of your README and publish tag releases for downloads.

Update software directories: Update or add listings on sites like AlternativeTo.net and Reddit (r/software), where users actually look for active forks of abandoned tools.

[standard-software]

Thank you both, this is very helpful.

It is good to know clearly that there is no self-service way, and that only GitHub Support could detach it while keeping the stars and the child forks.

[UtkarshOver9000]

Don't leave it unanswered mark the answer u liked my man , galaxy brain grind is on 😆 ps mark me jk jk