Import API

Use this API to import repositories from external sources.

Import repository from GitHub

Imports a repository from GitHub to GitLab.

Prerequisites:

• Prerequisites for GitHub importer.
• The namespace set in target_namespace must exist.
• The namespace can be your user namespace or an existing group that you have the Maintainer or Owner role for.

POST /import/github

curl --request POST \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/import/github" \
  --header "content-type: application/json" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer <your_access_token>" \
  --data '{
    "personal_access_token": "aBc123abC12aBc123abC12abC123+_A/c123",
    "repo_id": "12345",
    "target_namespace": "group/subgroup",
    "new_name": "NEW-NAME",
    "github_hostname": "https://github.example.com",
    "optional_stages": {
      "single_endpoint_notes_import": true,
      "attachments_import": true,
      "collaborators_import": true
    }
}'

The following keys are available for optional_stages:

• attachments_import, for Markdown attachments import.
• collaborators_import, for importing direct repository collaborators who are not outside collaborators.
• single_endpoint_issue_events_import, for issue and pull request events import. This optional stage was removed in GitLab 16.9.
• single_endpoint_notes_import, for an alternative and more thorough comments import.

For more information, see Select additional items to import.

Example response:

{
    "id": 27,
    "name": "my-repo",
    "full_path": "/root/my-repo",
    "full_name": "Administrator / my-repo",
    "refs_url": "/root/my-repo/refs",
    "import_source": "my-github/repo",
    "import_status": "scheduled",
    "human_import_status_name": "scheduled",
    "provider_link": "/my-github/repo",
    "relation_type": null,
    "import_warning": null
}

Import a public project through the API using a group access token

When you import a project from GitHub to GitLab through the API using a group access token:

• The GitLab project inherits the original project’s visibility settings. As a result, the project is publicly accessible if the original project is public.
• If the path or target_namespace does not exist, the project import fails.

Cancel GitHub project import

Cancels an in-progress GitHub project import.

POST /import/github/cancel

curl --request POST \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/import/github/cancel" \
  --header "content-type: application/json" \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --data '{
    "project_id": 12345
}'

Example response:

{
    "id": 160,
    "name": "my-repo",
    "full_path": "/root/my-repo",
    "full_name": "Administrator / my-repo",
    "import_source": "source/source-repo",
    "import_status": "canceled",
    "human_import_status_name": "canceled",
    "provider_link": "/source/source-repo"
}

Returns the following status codes:

• 200 OK: the project import is being canceled.
• 400 Bad Request: the project import cannot be canceled.
• 404 Not Found: the project associated with project_id does not exist.

Import GitHub gists into GitLab snippets

Imports personal GitHub gists into GitLab snippets. You can import gists with up to 10 files. GitHub gists with more than 10 files are skipped. You should manually migrate these GitHub gists.

If any gists couldn’t be imported, an email is sent with a list of gists that were not imported.

POST /import/github/gists

curl --request POST \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/import/github/gists" \
  --header "content-type: application/json" \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_gitlab_access_token>" \
  --data '{
    "personal_access_token": "<your_github_personal_access_token>"
}'

Returns the following status codes:

• 202 Accepted: the gists import is being started.
• 401 Unauthorized: user’s GitHub personal access token is invalid.
• 422 Unprocessable Entity: the gists import is already in progress.
• 429 Too Many Requests: the user has exceeded GitHub’s rate limit.

Import repository from Bitbucket Server

Imports a repository from Bitbucket Server to GitLab.

The Bitbucket Project Key is only used for finding the repository in Bitbucket. You must specify a target_namespace if you want to import the repository to a GitLab group. If you do not specify target_namespace, the project imports to your personal user namespace.

Prerequisites:

• For more information, see prerequisites for Bitbucket Server importer.

POST /import/bitbucket_server

curl --request POST \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/import/bitbucket_server" \
  --header "content-type: application/json" \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --data '{
    "bitbucket_server_url": "http://bitbucket.example.com",
    "bitbucket_server_username": "root",
    "personal_access_token": "Nzk4MDcxODY4MDAyOiP8y410zF3tGAyLnHRv/E0+3xYs",
    "bitbucket_server_project": "NEW",
    "bitbucket_server_repo": "my-repo",
    "new_name": "NEW-NAME"
}'

Import repository from Bitbucket Cloud

Imports a repository from Bitbucket Cloud to GitLab.

Prerequisites:

• The prerequisites for Bitbucket Cloud importer.
• One of the following:
  • A Bitbucket Cloud app password. Bitbucket Cloud app passwords are deprecated.
  • A Bitbucket Cloud API token with the required scopes.

POST /import/bitbucket

Example using API token:

curl --request POST \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/import/bitbucket" \
  --header "content-type: application/json" \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --data '{
    "bitbucket_email": "email@example.com",
    "bitbucket_api_token": "your_bitbucket_api_token",
    "repo_path": "username/my_project",
    "target_namespace": "my_group/my_subgroup",
    "new_name": "new_project_name"
}'

Bitbucket Cloud API token scopes

If you’re using a Bitbucket Cloud API token for authentication, the token must have the following scopes:

• read:repository:bitbucket
• read:pullrequest:bitbucket
• read:issue:bitbucket
• read:wiki:bitbucket

Related topics

• Group migration by direct transfer API.
• Group import and export API.
• Project import and export API.