# Base44 adds branches to build a new version without touching the live one By Steven Van · 2026-08-06 Branches share live data with main but can't publish, edit schemas, or connect apps synced to GitHub. [Base44](), the AI app builder that turns plain-language prompts into working web apps, just shipped Branches, a feature that lets you build the next version of your app in a parallel copy while the published version keeps running untouched. Announced on August 6, 2026, Branches solves one of the most nagging problems in vibe coding: any big change you attempt, like a redesign or an experimental feature, risks breaking the app your users are actively relying on. Now you can redesign, test, or spin up a campaign-specific version on a branch, and your live site does not change until you deliberately merge and publish. [Source post](https://x.com/i/status/2085404651533611440) ## A parallel copy of your build, with your live app left alone A branch in Base44 is a separate line of development that starts from your main app. Each branch gets its own chat history, so the AI keeps a separate context for that piece of work, plus its own live preview and its own copy of your app's design and pages. You can prompt, iterate, and preview freely inside a branch, and none of it touches what your users see. Creating one takes a couple of clicks: open the app name in the chat panel, choose Create new branch, then either pick a suggestion or describe what you want to work on. Base44 auto-generates the branch name from your first message, which is a small but nice touch for anyone who has stared at a blank name field. One detail worth knowing: every branch is created from main, no matter which branch you are currently in. Base44 keeps the model simple on purpose. There are no branches of branches to untangle later. ## Branches share your live data, and that cuts both ways Unlike a Git branch, a Base44 branch is not a fully isolated sandbox. All branches share the same live data as main, along with connections, automations, secrets, integrations, in-app agents, and app settings. The upside is that your V2 redesign is always tested against real, current data, so you see exactly how it will behave in production. The caution is that data changes you make while previewing a branch are real changes. For safer experimentation, Base44 offers test data on the Builder plan and higher. Some actions remain main-only for now. On a branch you cannot publish the app, edit database schemas, create or modify secrets, connectors, automations, workflows, or agents, edit code directly, change theme settings, or restore from version history. Backend function support inside branches is rolling out gradually. In practice, branches are built for the front-of-house work: redesigns, new pages, UX experiments, and campaign variants. ## Merging back: the AI resolves conflicts in chat When your branch is ready, the Publish button on that branch becomes Merge to main. Confirm the merge and your changes fold into main, after which the branch becomes read-only but stays visible with its full chat history preserved, useful as a record of what changed and why. Publishing still happens from main as a separate step, so merging never silently pushes anything live. If main has moved forward while you were building, you update the branch first. Base44's AI automatically combines changes that do not overlap, and when there is a genuine conflict, it asks you to decide right in the chat instead of dropping you into a diff view. That is a notably more approachable conflict flow than what traditional version control offers non-developers. ## Limits, queuing, and the GitHub caveat Base44 supports up to five builds running simultaneously across your branches, with additional requests queuing automatically, so a team can push several experiments in parallel. There is no stated cap on the number of branches you can create. One important caveat: Branches are not available on apps connected to GitHub. If you use Base44's GitHub two-way sync, you would manage branching through Git itself, and you would need to disconnect the repository to use Base44's native Branches instead. ## Why this matters for creators shipping fast Branches close a real gap between hacked-together prototypes and apps people depend on. Until now, iterating on a live Base44 app meant either editing in place and hoping, or cloning the whole app and manually reconciling changes later. With Branches, a creator can keep a storefront or membership app earning while quietly rebuilding it, or spin up a Black Friday variant of a landing page without forking the project. It is the kind of workflow feature, like staging environments and pull requests, that developers take for granted, translated into a chat-first builder that non-developers can actually use. For anyone running a real product on [Base44](), this is the green light to experiment boldly without betting the live app on it. ![Base44]() Base44 AI app builder. Describe what you want and get a fully functional web app in seconds, no coding required. [View Base44 →]() Sources [Base44 announcement on X](), [Base44 docs: Working with branches]() [Read Base44 adds branches to build a new version without touching the live one on Creators Toolbox]() --- Canonical source: https://creatorstoolbox.com/blog/base44-branches