url stringlengths 24 122 | repo_url stringlengths 60 156 | date_extracted stringdate 2025-08-13 00:00:00 2025-08-13 00:00:00 | root stringlengths 3 85 | breadcrumbs listlengths 1 6 | filename stringlengths 6 60 | stage stringclasses 33
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https://docs.gitlab.com/bitbucket_server_importer | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/bitbucket_server_importer.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | bitbucket_server_importer.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Bitbucket Server importer developer documentation | null |
## Prerequisites
To test imports, you need a Bitbucket Server instance running locally. For information on running a local instance, see
[these instructions](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/foundations/import-and-integrate/team/-/blob/main/integrations/bitbucket_server.md).
## Code structure
The importer's codebase ... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Bitbucket Server importer developer documentation
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/lfs | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/lfs.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | lfs.md | Create | Source Code | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Git LFS development guidelines | null |
To handle large binary files, Git Large File Storage (LFS) involves several components working together.
These guidelines explain the architecture and code flow for working on the GitLab LFS codebase.
For user documentation, see [Git Large File Storage](../topics/git/lfs/_index.md).
The following is a high-level di... | ---
stage: Create
group: Source Code
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Git LFS development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
To handle lar... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/pry_debugging | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/pry_debugging.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | pry_debugging.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Pry debugging | null |
## Invoking pry debugging
To invoke the debugger, place `binding.pry` somewhere in your
code. When the Ruby interpreter hits that code, execution stops,
and you can type in commands to debug the state of the program.
When debugging code in another process like Puma or Sidekiq, you can use `binding.pry_shell`.
You c... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Pry debugging
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
## Invoking pry debugging
To inv... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/api_styleguide | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/api_styleguide.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | api_styleguide.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | API style guide | null |
This style guide recommends best practices for API development.
## GraphQL and REST APIs
We offer two types of API to our customers:
- [REST API](../api/rest/_index.md)
- [GraphQL API](../api/graphql/_index.md)
To reduce the technical burden of supporting two APIs in parallel,
they should share implementations as... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: API style guide
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This style guide recommends bes... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/data_retention_policies | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/data_retention_policies.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | data_retention_policies.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Data Retention Guidelines for Feature Development | null |
## Overview
Data retention is a critical aspect of feature development at GitLab. As we build and maintain features, we must consider the lifecycle of the data we collect and store. This document outlines the guidelines for incorporating data retention considerations into feature development from the outset.
## Why... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Data Retention Guidelines for Feature Development
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/enabling_features_on_dedicated | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/enabling_features_on_dedicated.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | enabling_features_on_dedicated.md | GitLab Dedicated | Environment Automation | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Enabling features for GitLab Dedicated | null |
## Versioning
GitLab Dedicated is running the n-1 GitLab version to provide sufficient run-up time to make changes across many GitLab instances, and reduce the number of releases necessary to maintain GitLab in accordance with the security maintenance policy.
GitLab Dedicated instances are automatically upgraded du... | ---
stage: GitLab Dedicated
group: Environment Automation
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Enabling features for GitLab Dedicated
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- de... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/performance | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/performance.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | performance.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Performance Guidelines | null |
This document describes various guidelines to ensure good and consistent performance of GitLab.
## Performance Documentation
- General:
- [Solving performance issues](#workflow)
- [Handbook performance page](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/performance/)
- [Merge request performance guidelines... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Performance Guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This document describes ... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/token_authenticatable | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/token_authenticatable.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | token_authenticatable.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Using the `TokenAuthenticatable` concern | null |
The `TokenAuthenticatable` module is a concern that provides token-based authentication functionality for `ActiveRecord` models.
It allows you to define authentication tokens for your models.
## Overview
This module provides a flexible way to add token-based authentication to your models.
It supports three storage... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Using the `TokenAuthenticatable` concern
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
The `T... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/event_store | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/event_store.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | event_store.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | GitLab EventStore | null |
## Background
The monolithic GitLab project is becoming larger and more domains are being defined.
As a result, these domains are becoming entangled with each others due to temporal coupling.
An emblematic example is the [`PostReceive`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/blob/master/app/workers/post_receive.rb)
w... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: GitLab EventStore
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
## Background
The monolithic... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/work_items_widgets | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/work_items_widgets.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | work_items_widgets.md | Plan | Project Management | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Work items widgets | null |
## Frontend architecture
Widgets for work items are heavily inspired by [Frontend widgets](fe_guide/widgets.md).
You can expect some differences, because work items are architecturally different from issuables.
GraphQL (Vue Apollo) constitutes the core of work items widgets' stack.
### Retrieve widget information ... | ---
stage: Plan
group: Project Management
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Work items widgets
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
## Frontend architec... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/npmjs | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/npmjs.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | npmjs.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | npm package publishing guidelines | null |
GitLab uses npm packages as a means to improve code reuse and modularity in and across projects.
This document outlines the best practices and guidelines for securely publishing npm packages to npmjs.com.
By adhering to these guidelines, we can ensure secure and reliable publishing of NPM packages,
fostering trust a... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: npm package publishing guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
GitLab uses n... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/shell_commands | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/shell_commands.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | shell_commands.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Shell command development guidelines | null |
This document contains guidelines for working with processes and files in the GitLab codebase.
These guidelines are meant to make your code more reliable and secure.
## References
- [Google Ruby Security Reviewer's Guide](https://code.google.com/archive/p/ruby-security/wikis/Guide.wiki)
- [OWASP Command Injection](... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Shell command development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This docum... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/issuable-like-models | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/issuable-like-models.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | issuable-like-models.md | Plan | Project Management | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Issuable-like Rails models utilities | null |
GitLab Rails codebase contains several models that hold common functionality and behave similarly to
[Issues](../user/project/issues/_index.md). Other examples of "issuables"
are [merge requests](../user/project/merge_requests/_index.md) and
[Epics](../user/group/epics/_index.md).
This guide accumulates guidelines o... | ---
stage: Plan
group: Project Management
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Issuable-like Rails models utilities
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Gi... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/value_stream_analytics | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/value_stream_analytics.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | value_stream_analytics.md | Plan | Optimize | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Value stream analytics development guidelines | null |
For information on how to configure value stream analytics (VSA) in GitLab, see our [analytics documentation](../user/group/value_stream_analytics/_index.md).
## How does Value Stream Analytics work?
Value Stream Analytics calculates the duration between two timestamp columns or timestamp
expressions and runs vario... | ---
stage: Plan
group: Optimize
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Value stream analytics development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
For... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/cascading_settings | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/cascading_settings.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | cascading_settings.md | Growth | Engagement | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Cascading Settings | null |
Have you ever wanted to add a setting on a GitLab project and/or group that had a default value that was inherited from a parent in the hierarchy?
If so: we have the framework you have been seeking!
The cascading settings framework allows groups and projects to inherit settings
values from ancestors (parent group o... | ---
stage: Growth
group: Engagement
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Cascading Settings
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Have you ever wanted to ad... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/code_comments | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/code_comments.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | code_comments.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Code comments | null |
## Core principles
Self-explanatory coding and avoiding additional comments should be the first goal.
It can be strengthened by using descriptive method naming, leveraging Ruby's expressiveness,
using keyword arguments, creating small and single-purpose methods, following idiomatic conventions, using enums, etc.
If... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Code comments
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
## Core principles
Self-explanat... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/import_export | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/import_export.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | import_export.md | Create | Import | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Import/Export development documentation | null |
{{< alert type="note" >}}
To mitigate the risk of introducing bugs and performance issues, newly added relations should be put behind a feature flag.
{{< /alert >}}
General development guidelines and tips for the [Import/Export feature](../user/project/settings/import_export.md).
<i class="fa fa-youtube-play yout... | ---
stage: Create
group: Import
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Import/Export development documentation
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
{{< alert... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/software_design | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/software_design.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | software_design.md | none | Engineering Productivity | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Software design guides | null |
## Use ubiquitous language instead of CRUD terminology
The code should use the same [ubiquitous language](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/communication/#ubiquitous-language)
as used in the product and user documentation. Failure to use ubiquitous language correctly
can be a major cause of confusion for contribu... | ---
stage: none
group: Engineering Productivity
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Software design guides
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
## Use ubi... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/omnibus | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/omnibus.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | omnibus.md | GitLab Delivery | Build | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | What you should know about Omnibus packages | null |
Most users install GitLab using our Omnibus packages. As a developer it can be
good to know how the Omnibus packages differ from what you have on your laptop
when you are coding.
## Files are owned by root by default
All the files in the Rails tree (`app/`, `config/`, and so on) are owned by `root` in
Omnibus insta... | ---
stage: GitLab Delivery
group: Build
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: What you should know about Omnibus packages
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/renaming_features | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/renaming_features.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | renaming_features.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Renaming features | null |
Sometimes the business asks to change the name of a feature. Broadly speaking, there are 2 approaches to that task. They basically trade between immediate effort and future complexity/bug risk:
- Complete, rename everything in the repository.
- Pros: does not increase code complexity.
- Cons: more work to execut... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Renaming features
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Sometimes the business asks t... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/export_csv | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/export_csv.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | export_csv.md | Create | Import | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Export to CSV | null |
This document lists the different implementations of CSV export in GitLab codebase.
| Export type | Implementation | Advantages | Disadvantages | Existing examples |
|-----------------------------------|----------------|------------|---------------|-------------------|
| Streaming ... | ---
stage: Create
group: Import
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Export to CSV
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This document lists the different i... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/logging | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/logging.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | logging.md | Monitor | Platform Insights | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Logging development guidelines | null |
[GitLab Logs](../administration/logs/_index.md) play a critical role for both
administrators and GitLab team members to diagnose problems in the field.
## Don't use `Rails.logger`
Currently `Rails.logger` calls all get saved into `production.log`, which contains
a mix of Rails' logs and other calls developers have ... | ---
stage: Monitor
group: Platform Insights
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Logging development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
[GitLa... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/rake_tasks | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/rake_tasks.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | rake_tasks.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Rake tasks for developers | null |
Rake tasks are available for developers and others contributing to GitLab.
## Set up database with developer seeds
If your database user does not have advanced privileges, you must create the database manually before running this command.
```shell
bundle exec rake setup
```
The `setup` task is an alias for `gitla... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Rake tasks for developers
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Rake tasks are availa... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/repository_mirroring | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/repository_mirroring.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | repository_mirroring.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Repository mirroring | null |
## Deep Dive
<!-- vale gitlab_base.Spelling = NO -->
In December 2018, Tiago Botelho hosted a Deep Dive (GitLab team members only: `https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/create-stage/-/issues/1`)
on the GitLab [Pull Repository Mirroring functionality](../user/project/repository/mirror/pull.md)
to share his domain specific ... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Repository mirroring
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
## Deep Dive
<!-- vale gi... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/session | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/session.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | session.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Accessing session data | null |
Session data in GitLab is stored in Redis and can be accessed in a variety of ways.
During a web request, for example:
- Rails provides access to the session from within controllers through [`ActionDispatch::Session`](https://guides.rubyonrails.org/action_controller_overview.html#session).
- Outside of controllers,... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Accessing session data
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Session data in GitLab i... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/development | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/_index.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | _index.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Contribute to development | Learn how to contribute to the development of the GitLab product. |
Learn how to contribute to the development of the GitLab product.
This content is intended for both GitLab team members and members of the wider community.
{{< cards >}}
- [Contribute to GitLab](contributing/_index.md)
- [Contribute to GitLab Runner](https://docs.gitlab.com/runner/development/)
- [Contribute to Gi... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Contribute to development
description: Learn how to contribute to the development of t... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/redis | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/redis.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | redis.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Redis development guidelines | null |
## Redis instances
GitLab uses [Redis](https://redis.io) for the following distinct purposes:
- [Caching](#caching) (mostly via `Rails.cache`).
- As a job processing queue with [Sidekiq](sidekiq/_index.md).
- To manage the shared application state.
- To store CI trace chunks.
- As a Pub/Sub queue backend for Action... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Redis development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
## Redis instances... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/development_processes | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/development_processes.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | development_processes.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Development processes | null |
Consult these topics for information on development processes for contributing to GitLab.
## Processes
Must-reads:
- [Guide on adapting existing and introducing new components](architecture.md#adapting-existing-and-introducing-new-components)
- [Code review guidelines](code_review.md) for reviewing code and having... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Development processes
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Consult these topics for ... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/policies | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/policies.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | policies.md | Software Supply Chain Security | Authorization | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | The `DeclarativePolicy` framework | null |
The DeclarativePolicy framework is designed to assist in performance of policy checks, and to enable ease of extension for EE. The DSL code in `app/policies` is what `Ability.allowed?` uses to check whether a particular action is allowed on a subject.
The policy used is based on the subject's class name - so `Abilit... | ---
stage: Software Supply Chain Security
group: Authorization
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: The `DeclarativePolicy` framework
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- de... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/namespaces | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/namespaces.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | namespaces.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Namespaces | null |
Namespaces are containers for projects and associated resources. A `Namespace` is instantiated through its subclasses of `Group`, `ProjectNamespace`, and `UserNamespace`.
```mermaid
graph TD
Namespace -.- Group
Namespace -.- ProjectNamespace
Namespace -.- UserNamespace
```
A `User` has one `UserNamespace`, an... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Namespaces
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Namespaces are containers for projec... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/gemfile | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/gemfile.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | gemfile.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Gemfile development guidelines | null |
When adding a new entry to `Gemfile`, or upgrading an existing dependency pay
attention to the following rules.
## Bundler checksum verification
In [GitLab 15.5 and later](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/98508), gem
checksums are checked before installation. This verification is still
experime... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Gemfile development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
When adding a ne... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/json | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/json.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | json.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | JSON development guidelines | null |
At GitLab we handle a lot of JSON data. To best ensure we remain performant
when handling large JSON encodes or decodes, we use our own JSON class
instead of the default methods.
## `Gitlab::Json`
This class should be used in place of any calls to the default `JSON` class,
`.to_json` calls, and the like. It impleme... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: JSON development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
At GitLab we handle... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/service_measurement | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/service_measurement.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | service_measurement.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | GitLab Developers Guide to service measurement | null |
You can enable service measurement to debug any slow service's execution time, number of SQL calls, garbage collection stats, memory usage, etc.
## Measuring module
The measuring module is a tool that allows to measure a service's execution, and log:
- Service class name
- Execution time
- Number of SQL calls
- De... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: GitLab Developers Guide to service measurement
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/build_test_package | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/build_test_package.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | build_test_package.md | GitLab Delivery | Build | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Building a package for testing | null |
While developing a new feature or modifying an existing one, it is helpful if an
installable package (or a Docker image) containing those changes is available
for testing. For this purpose, a manual job is provided in the GitLab CI/CD
pipeline that can be used to trigger a pipeline in the Omnibus GitLab repository
th... | ---
stage: GitLab Delivery
group: Build
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Building a package for testing
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
While deve... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/cookies | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/cookies.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | cookies.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Cookies | null |
In general, there is usually a better place to store data for users than in cookies. For backend development PostgreSQL, Redis, and [session storage](session.md) are available. For frontend development, cookies may be more secure than `localStorage`, `IndexedDB` or other options.
In general do not put sensitive info... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Cookies
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
In general, there is usually a better p... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/deleting_data | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/deleting_data.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | deleting_data.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Data deletion guidelines | null |
In order to minimize the risk of accidental data loss, GitLab provides guidelines for how to safely use deletion operations in the codebase.
Generally, there are two ways to delete data:
- Mark for deletion: Identifies data for removal at a future date. This is the preferred approach.
- Hard deletion: Immediately a... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Data deletion guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
In order to minimize t... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/import_project | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/import_project.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | import_project.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Test import project | null |
For testing, we can import our own [GitLab CE](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/) project (named `gitlabhq` in this case) under a group named `qa-perf-testing`. Project tarballs that can be used for testing can be found over on the [performance-data](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/quality/performance-data) pr... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Test import project
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
For testing, we can import ... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/shared_files | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/shared_files.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | shared_files.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Shared files | null |
Historically, GitLab supported storing files that could be accessed from multiple application
servers in `shared/`, using a shared storage solution like NFS. Although this is still an option for
some GitLab installations, it must not be the only file storage option for a given feature. This is
because [cloud-native G... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Shared files
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Historically, GitLab supported sto... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/maintenance_mode | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/maintenance_mode.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | maintenance_mode.md | Tenant Scale | Geo | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Internal workings of GitLab Maintenance Mode | null |
## Where is Maintenance Mode enforced?
GitLab Maintenance Mode **only** blocks writes from HTTP and SSH requests at the application level in a few key places within the rails application.
[Search the codebase for `maintenance_mode?`.](https://gitlab.com/search?search=maintenance_mode%3F&group_id=9970&project_id=2789... | ---
stage: Tenant Scale
group: Geo
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Internal workings of GitLab Maintenance Mode
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
#... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/scalability | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/scalability.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | scalability.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | GitLab scalability | null |
This section describes the current architecture of GitLab as it relates to
scalability and reliability.
## Reference Architecture Overview
_[diagram source - GitLab employees only](https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1RTGtuoUrE0bDT-9smoHbFruhEM... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: GitLab scalability
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This section describes the c... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/wikis | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/wikis.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | wikis.md | Plan | Knowledge | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Wikis development guidelines | Development guidelines for Wikis |
The wiki functionality in GitLab is based on [Gollum 4.x](https://github.com/gollum/gollum/).
It's used in the [Gitaly](gitaly.md) Ruby service, and accessed from the Rails app through Gitaly RPC calls.
Wikis use Git repositories as storage backend, and can be accessed through:
- The [Web UI](../user/project/wiki/_... | ---
stage: Plan
group: Knowledge
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
description: Development guidelines for Wikis
title: Wikis development guidelines
breadcrumbs:... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/reactive_caching | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/reactive_caching.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | reactive_caching.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Using `ReactiveCaching` | null |
This doc refers to [`reactive_caching.rb`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/app/models/concerns/reactive_caching.rb).
The `ReactiveCaching` concern is used for fetching some data in the background and storing it
in the Rails cache, keeping it up-to-date for as long as it is being requested. If the
... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Using `ReactiveCaching`
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This doc refers to [`re... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/ruby_upgrade | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/ruby_upgrade.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | ruby_upgrade.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Ruby upgrade guidelines | null |
We strive to run GitLab using the latest Ruby MRI releases to benefit from performance and
security updates and new Ruby APIs. When upgrading Ruby across GitLab, we should do
so in a way that:
- Is least disruptive to contributors.
- Optimizes for GitLab SaaS availability.
- Maintains Ruby version parity across all ... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Ruby upgrade guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
We strive to run GitLab... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/caching | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/caching.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | caching.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Caching guidelines | null |
This document describes the various caching strategies in use at GitLab, how to implement
them effectively, and various gotchas. This material was extracted from the excellent
[Caching Workshop](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/create-stage/-/issues/12820).
## What is a cache?
A faster store for data, which is:
- Use... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Caching guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This document describes the ... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/chatops_on_gitlabcom | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/chatops_on_gitlabcom.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | chatops_on_gitlabcom.md | Deploy | Environments | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | ChatOps on GitLab.com | null |
ChatOps on GitLab.com allows GitLab team members to run various automation tasks on GitLab.com using Slack.
## Requesting access
GitLab team-members may need access to ChatOps on GitLab.com for administration
tasks such as:
- Configuring feature flags.
- Running `EXPLAIN` queries against the GitLab.com production ... | ---
stage: Deploy
group: Environments
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: ChatOps on GitLab.com
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
ChatOps on GitLab.com... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/issue_types | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/issue_types.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | issue_types.md | Plan | Project Management | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Issue Types (deprecated) | null |
{{< alert type="warning" >}}
We have deprecated Issue Types in favor of [Work Items and Work Item Types](work_items.md).
{{< /alert >}}
Sometimes when a new resource type is added it's not clear if it should be only an
"extension" of Issue (Issue Type) or if it should be a new first-class resource type
(similar to... | ---
stage: Plan
group: Project Management
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Issue Types (deprecated)
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
{{< alert type... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/geo | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/geo.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | geo.md | Tenant Scale | Geo | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Geo (development) | null |
Geo connects GitLab instances together. One GitLab instance is
designated as a **primary** site and can be run with multiple
**secondary** sites. Geo orchestrates quite a few components that can be seen on
the diagram below and are described in more detail in this document.
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Geo connects GitLab instance... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/tracing | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/tracing.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | tracing.md | Monitor | Platform Insights | To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments | Distributed tracing | null |
{{< details >}}
- Tier: Ultimate
- Offering: GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed
- Status: Beta
{{< /details >}}
{{< alert type="note" >}}
This feature is not under active development.
{{< /alert >}}
{{< history >}}
- [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/124966) in GitLab 16.2 [with a... | ---
stage: Monitor
group: Platform Insights
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with
this page, see https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
title: Distributed tracing
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
{{< details >}}
- Tier: Ultim... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/cached_queries | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/cached_queries.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | cached_queries.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Cached queries guidelines | null |
Rails provides an [SQL query cache](https://guides.rubyonrails.org/caching_with_rails.html#sql-caching)
which is used to cache the results of database queries for the duration of a request.
When Rails encounters the same query again within the same request, it uses the cached
result set instead of running the query a... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Cached queries guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Rails provides an [SQ... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/exact_code_search | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/exact_code_search.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | exact_code_search.md | AI-powered | Global Search | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Exact code search development guidelines | null |
This page includes information about developing and working with exact code search, which is powered by Zoekt.
For how to enable exact code search and perform the initial indexing, see the
[integration documentation](../integration/exact_code_search/zoekt.md#enable-exact-code-search).
## Set up your development env... | ---
stage: AI-powered
group: Global Search
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Exact code search development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/git_object_deduplication | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/git_object_deduplication.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | git_object_deduplication.md | Data Access | Gitaly | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | How Git object deduplication works in GitLab | null |
When a GitLab user [forks a project](../user/project/repository/forking_workflow.md),
GitLab creates a new Project with an associated Git repository that is a
copy of the original project at the time of the fork. If a large project
gets forked often, this can lead to a quick increase in Git repository
storage disk us... | ---
stage: Data Access
group: Gitaly
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: How Git object deduplication works in GitLab
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/metrics | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/metrics.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | metrics.md | Monitor | Platform Insights | To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments | Metrics | Metrics for monitoring operational health of systems and applications using OpenTelemetry. |
{{< details >}}
- Tier: Ultimate
- Offering: GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed
- Status: Beta
{{< /details >}}
{{< alert type="note" >}}
This feature is not under active development.
{{< /alert >}}
{{< history >}}
- [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/124966) in GitLab 16.7 [with a... | ---
stage: Monitor
group: Platform Insights
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with
this page, see https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
description: Metrics for monitoring operational health of systems and applications
using OpenT... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/avoiding_required_stops | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/avoiding_required_stops.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | avoiding_required_stops.md | GitLab Delivery | Self Managed | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Avoiding required stops | null |
Required stops are any changes to GitLab [components](architecture.md) or
dependencies that result in the need to upgrade to and stop at a specific
`major.minor` version when [upgrading GitLab](../update/_index.md).
While Development maintains a [maintenance policy](../policy/maintenance.md)
that results in a three-... | ---
stage: GitLab Delivery
group: Self Managed
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Avoiding required stops
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Required s... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/migration_style_guide | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/migration_style_guide.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | migration_style_guide.md | Data Access | Database Frameworks | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Migration Style Guide | null |
When writing migrations for GitLab, you have to take into account that
these are run by hundreds of thousands of organizations of all sizes, some with
many years of data in their database.
In addition, having to take a server offline for an upgrade small or big is a
big burden for most organizations. For this reason... | ---
stage: Data Access
group: Database Frameworks
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Migration Style Guide
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
When writ... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/rails_initializers | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/rails_initializers.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | rails_initializers.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Rails initializers | null |
Initializers are executed when the Rails process is started. That means that initializers are also executed during every deploy.
By default, Rails loads Zeitwerk after the initializers in `config/initializers` are loaded.
Autoloading before Zeitwerk is loaded is now deprecated but because we use a lot of autoloaded
... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Rails initializers
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Initializers are executed wh... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/rubocop_development_guide | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/rubocop_development_guide.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | rubocop_development_guide.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | RuboCop rule development guidelines | null |
Our codebase style is defined and enforced by [RuboCop](https://github.com/rubocop-hq/rubocop).
You can check for any offenses locally with `bundle exec rubocop --parallel`.
On the CI, this is automatically checked by the `static-analysis` jobs.
In addition, you can [integrate RuboCop](developing_with_solargraph.md... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: RuboCop rule development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Our codebas... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/compromised_password_detection | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/compromised_password_detection.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | compromised_password_detection.md | Software Supply Chain Security | Authentication | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Compromised password detection development | null |
For information on this feature that are not development-specific, see the [feature documentation](../security/compromised_password_detection.md).
## CloudFlare
The CloudFlare [leaked credentials detection](https://developers.cloudflare.com/waf/detections/leaked-credentials/) feature can detect when a request conta... | ---
stage: Software Supply Chain Security
group: Authentication
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Compromised password detection development
breadcrumbs:
... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/user_contribution_mapping | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/user_contribution_mapping.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | user_contribution_mapping.md | none | Import | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | User contribution mapping developer documentation | null |
User contribution mapping is a feature that allows imported records to be attributed to a user without needing the user on the source to have been provisioned with a public email in advance. Instead, dummy User records are created to act as a placeholder in imported records until a real user can be assigned to those ... | ---
stage: none
group: Import
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: User contribution mapping developer documentation
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
U... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/ee_features | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/ee_features.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | ee_features.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Guidelines for implementing Enterprise Edition features | null |
- **Place code in `ee/`**: Put all Enterprise Edition (EE) inside the `ee/` top-level directory. The
rest of the code must be as close to the Community Edition (CE) files as possible.
- **Write tests**: As with any code, EE features must have good test coverage to prevent
regressions. All `ee/` code must have cor... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Guidelines for implementing Enterprise Edition features
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- developme... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/dangerbot | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/dangerbot.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | dangerbot.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Danger bot | null |
The GitLab CI/CD pipeline includes a `danger-review` job that uses [Danger](https://github.com/danger/danger)
to perform a variety of automated checks on the code under test.
Danger is a gem that runs in the CI environment, like any other analysis tool.
What sets it apart from (for example, RuboCop) is that it's des... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Danger bot
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
The GitLab CI/CD pipeline includes a... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/architecture | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/architecture.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | architecture.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | GitLab architecture overview | null |
## Software delivery
There are two software distributions of GitLab:
- The open source [Community Edition](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/) (CE).
- The open core [Enterprise Edition](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/) (EE).
The EE repository has been archived. GitLab now operates [under a single cod... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: GitLab architecture overview
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
## Software delive... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/application_secrets | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/application_secrets.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | application_secrets.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Application secrets | null |
GitLab must be able to access various secrets such as access tokens and other credentials to function.
These secrets are encrypted and stored at rest and may be found in different data stores depending on use.
Use this guide to understand how different kinds of secrets are stored and managed.
## Application secrets ... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Application secrets
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
GitLab must be able to acce... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/multi_version_compatibility | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/multi_version_compatibility.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | multi_version_compatibility.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Backwards compatibility across updates | null |
GitLab deployments can be broken down into many components. Updating GitLab is not atomic. Therefore, **many components must be backwards-compatible**.
## Common gotchas
In a sense, these scenarios are all transient states. But they can often persist for several hours in a live, production environment. Therefore we... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Backwards compatibility across updates
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
GitLab d... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/interacting_components | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/interacting_components.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | interacting_components.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Developing against interacting components or features | null |
It's not uncommon that a single code change can reflect and interact with multiple parts of GitLab
codebase. Furthermore, an existing feature might have an underlying integration or behavior that
might go unnoticed even by reviewers and maintainers.
The goal of this section is to briefly list interacting pieces to t... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Developing against interacting components or features
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/changelog | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/changelog.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | changelog.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Changelog entries | null |
This guide contains instructions for when and how to generate a changelog entry
file, as well as information and history about our changelog process.
## Overview
Each list item, or **entry**, in our
[`CHANGELOG.md`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md)
file is generated from the subject ... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Changelog entries
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This guide contains instructi... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/gems | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/gems.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | gems.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Gems development guidelines | null |
GitLab uses Gems as a tool to improve code reusability and modularity
in a monolithic codebase.
We extract libraries from our codebase when their functionality
is highly isolated and we want to use them in other applications
ourselves or we think it would benefit the wider community.
Extracting code to a gem also e... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Gems development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
GitLab uses Gems as... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/chaos_endpoints | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/chaos_endpoints.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | chaos_endpoints.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Generating chaos in a test GitLab instance | null |
<!-- vale gitlab_base.Spelling = NO -->
As [Werner Vogels](https://twitter.com/Werner), the CTO at Amazon Web Services, famously put it, **Everything fails, all the time**.
<!-- vale gitlab_base.Spelling = NO -->
As a developer, it's as important to consider the failure modes in which your software may operate as ... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Generating chaos in a test GitLab instance
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
<!--... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/module_with_instance_variables | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/module_with_instance_variables.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | module_with_instance_variables.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Modules with instance variables could be considered harmful | null |
## Background
Rails somehow encourages people using modules and instance variables
everywhere. For example, using instance variables in the controllers,
helpers, and views. They're also encouraging the use of
`ActiveSupport::Concern`, which further strengthens the idea of
saving everything in a giant, single object,... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Modules with instance variables could be considered harmful
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- devel... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/adding_service_component | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/adding_service_component.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | adding_service_component.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Adding a new Service Component to GitLab | null |
The GitLab product is made up of several service components that run as independent system processes in communication with each other. These services can be run on the same instance, or spread across different instances. A list of the existing components can be found in the [GitLab architecture overview](architecture... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Adding a new Service Component to GitLab
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
The Gi... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/developing_with_solargraph | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/developing_with_solargraph.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | developing_with_solargraph.md | Create | Source Code | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Using Solargraph | null |
Gemfile packages [Solargraph](https://github.com/castwide/solargraph) language server for additional IntelliSense and code formatting capabilities with editors that support it.
Example configuration for Solargraph can be found in [`.solargraph.yml.example`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/.solargr... | ---
stage: Create
group: Source Code
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Using Solargraph
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Gemfile packages [Solargrap... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/utilities | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/utilities.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | utilities.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | GitLab utilities | null |
We have developed a number of utilities to help ease development:
## `MergeHash`
Refer to [`merge_hash.rb`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/master/lib/gitlab/utils/merge_hash.rb):
- Deep merges an array of elements which can be hashes, arrays, or other objects:
```ruby
Gitlab::Utils::MergeHash.mer... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: GitLab utilities
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
We have developed a number of ... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/ai_architecture | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/ai_architecture.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | ai_architecture.md | AI-powered | AI Framework | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | AI Architecture | null |
This document describes architecture shared by the GitLab Duo AI features. For historical motivation and goals of this architecture, see the [AI gateway Architecture design document](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/architecture/design-documents/ai_gateway/).
## Introduction
The following diagram sh... | ---
stage: AI-powered
group: AI Framework
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: AI Architecture
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This document describes... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/permissions | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/permissions.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | permissions.md | Software Supply Chain Security | Authorization | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Permission development guidelines | null |
There are multiple types of permissions across GitLab, and when implementing
anything that deals with permissions, all of them should be considered. For more information, see:
- [Predefined roles system](permissions/predefined_roles.md): a general overview about predefined roles, user types, feature specific permiss... | ---
stage: Software Supply Chain Security
group: Authorization
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Permission development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- de... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/bulk_import | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/bulk_import.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | bulk_import.md | Create | Import | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Group migration by direct transfer | null |
{{< alert type="note" >}}
To use direct transfer, ensure your GitLab installation is accessible from
[GitLab IP addresses](../user/gitlab_com/_index.md#ip-range) and has a public DNS entry.
{{< /alert >}}
[Group migration by direct transfer](../user/group/import/_index.md) is the
evolution of migrating groups and ... | ---
stage: Create
group: Import
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Group migration by direct transfer
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
{{< alert type... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/vs_code_debugging | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/vs_code_debugging.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | vs_code_debugging.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | VS Code debugging | null |
This document describes how to set up Rails debugging in [Visual Studio Code (VS Code)](https://code.visualstudio.com/) using the [GitLab Development Kit (GDK)](contributing/first_contribution/configure-dev-env-gdk.md).
## Setup
The examples below contain launch configurations for `rails-web` and `rails-background-... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: VS Code debugging
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This document describes how t... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/fips_gitlab | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/fips_gitlab.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | fips_gitlab.md | Create | Source Code | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | FIPS 140-2 and 140-3 | null |
FIPS is short for "Federal Information Processing Standard", which defines certain security practices for a "cryptographic module" (CM). A cryptographic
module is set of hardware, software, and/or firmware that implements approved security functions (including cryptographic algorithms and key generation)
and is conta... | ---
stage: Create
group: Source Code
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: FIPS 140-2 and 140-3
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
FIPS is short for "Fede... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/navigation_sidebar | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/navigation_sidebar.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | navigation_sidebar.md | Growth | Engagement | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Navigation sidebar | null |
Follow these guidelines when contributing additions or changes to the
[redesigned](https://gitlab.com/groups/gitlab-org/-/epics/9044) navigation
sidebar.
These guidelines reflect the current state of the navigation sidebar. However,
the sidebar is a work in progress, and so is this documentation.
## Enable the new ... | ---
stage: Growth
group: Engagement
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Navigation sidebar
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Follow these guidelines wh... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/secure_coding_guidelines | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/secure_coding_guidelines.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | secure_coding_guidelines.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Secure coding development guidelines | null |
This document contains descriptions and guidelines for addressing security
vulnerabilities commonly identified in the GitLab codebase. They are intended
to help developers identify potential security vulnerabilities early, with the
goal of reducing the number of vulnerabilities released over time.
## SAST coverage
... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Secure coding development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This docum... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/api_graphql_styleguide | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/api_graphql_styleguide.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | api_graphql_styleguide.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Backend GraphQL API guide | null |
This document contains style and technical guidance for engineers implementing the backend of the [GitLab GraphQL API](../api/graphql/_index.md).
## Relation to REST API
See the [GraphQL and REST APIs section](api_styleguide.md#graphql-and-rest-apis).
## Versioning
The GraphQL API is [versionless](https://graphql... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Backend GraphQL API guide
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This document contain... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/gitaly | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/gitaly.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | gitaly.md | Data Access | Gitaly | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Gitaly development guidelines | null |
[Gitaly](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitaly) is a high-level Git RPC service used by GitLab Rails,
Workhorse and GitLab Shell.
## Deep Dive
<!-- vale gitlab_base.Spelling = NO -->
In May 2019, Bob Van Landuyt
hosted a Deep Dive (GitLab team members only: `https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/create-stage/-/issues/1`)
o... | ---
stage: Data Access
group: Gitaly
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Gitaly development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
[Gitaly](https... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/logs | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/logs.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | logs.md | Monitor | Platform Insights | To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments | Logs | null |
{{< details >}}
- Tier: Ultimate
- Offering: GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed
- Status: Beta
{{< /details >}}
{{< alert type="note" >}}
This feature is not under active development.
{{< /alert >}}
{{< history >}}
- [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/143027) in GitLab 16.10 [with ... | ---
stage: Monitor
group: Platform Insights
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with
this page, see https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
title: Logs
breadcrumbs:
- doc
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---
{{< details >}}
- Tier: Ultimate
- Offering:... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/real_time | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/real_time.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | real_time.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Build and deploy real-time view components | null |
GitLab provides an interactive user experience through individual view components that accept
user input and reflect state changes back to the user. For example, on the Merge Request
page, users can approve, leave comments, interact with the CI/CD pipeline, and more.
However, GitLab often does not reflect state upda... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Build and deploy real-time view components
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
GitL... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/application_settings | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/application_settings.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | application_settings.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Application settings development | null |
This document provides a development guide for contributors to add application
settings to GitLab.
Application settings are stored in the `application_settings` table. Each setting has its own column and there should only be one row.
Duo-related applications settings are [stored in a different table](#adding-a-duo-... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Application settings development
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This document ... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/database_review | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/database_review.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | database_review.md | Data Access | Database Frameworks | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Database Review Guidelines | null |
This page is specific to database reviews. Refer to our
[code review guide](code_review.md) for broader advice and best
practices for code review in general.
## General process
A database review is required for:
- Changes that touch the database schema or perform data migrations,
including files in:
- `db/`
... | ---
stage: Data Access
group: Database Frameworks
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Database Review Guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
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---
This... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/data_seeder | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/data_seeder.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | data_seeder.md | none | unassigned | To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments | Data Seeder | Data Seeder test data harness created by the Test Data Working Group https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/company/working-groups/demo-test-data/ |
The Data Seeder is a test data seeding harness, that can seed test data into a user or group namespace.
The Data Seeder uses FactoryBot in the backend which makes maintenance straightforward and future-proof. When a Model changes,
FactoryBot already reflects the change.
## Docker Setup
### With GDK
1. Start a con... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with
this page, see https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
description: Data Seeder test data harness created by the Test Data Working Group
https://handbook.gitla... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/distributed_tracing | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/distributed_tracing.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | distributed_tracing.md | Monitor | Platform Insights | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Distributed tracing development guidelines | null |
GitLab is instrumented for distributed tracing. Distributed tracing in GitLab is currently considered **experimental**, as it has not yet been tested at scale on GitLab.com.
According to [Open Tracing](https://opentracing.io/docs/overview/what-is-tracing/):
> Distributed tracing, also called distributed request tra... | ---
stage: Monitor
group: Platform Insights
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Distributed tracing development guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/sql | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/sql.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | sql.md | Data Access | Database Frameworks | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | SQL Query Guidelines | null |
This document describes various guidelines to follow when writing SQL queries,
either using ActiveRecord/Arel or raw SQL queries.
## Using `LIKE` Statements
The most common way to search for data is using the `LIKE` statement. For
example, to get all issues with a title starting with "Draft:" you'd write the
follow... | ---
stage: Data Access
group: Database Frameworks
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: SQL Query Guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This docum... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/bitbucket_cloud_importer | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/bitbucket_cloud_importer.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | bitbucket_cloud_importer.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Bitbucket Cloud importer developer documentation | null |
## Prerequisites
You must be authenticated with Bitbucket:
- If you use GitLab Development Kit (GDK), see [Set up Bitbucket authentication on GDK](#set-up-bitbucket-authentication-on-gdk).
- Otherwise, see [Bitbucket OmniAuth provider](../integration/bitbucket.md#use-bitbucket-as-an-oauth-20-authentication-provider... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Bitbucket Cloud importer developer documentation
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/webhooks | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/webhooks.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | webhooks.md | Create | Import | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Webhooks developer guide | Development guidelines for webhooks |
This page is a developer guide for [GitLab webhooks](../user/project/integrations/webhooks.md).
Webhooks POST JSON data about an event or change that happened in GitLab to a webhook receiver.
Using webhooks, customers are notified when certain changes happen instead of needing to poll the API.
## Webhook flow
The ... | ---
stage: Create
group: Import
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
description: Development guidelines for webhooks
title: Webhooks developer guide
breadcrumbs:
-... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/github_importer | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/github_importer.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | github_importer.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | GitHub importer developer documentation | null |
The GitHub importer is a parallel importer that uses Sidekiq.
## Prerequisites
- Sidekiq workers that process the `github_importer` and `github_importer_advance_stage` queues (enabled by default).
- Octokit (used for interacting with the GitHub API).
## Code structure
The importer's codebase is broken up into the... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: GitHub importer developer documentation
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
The Git... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/routing | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/routing.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | routing.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Routing | null |
The GitLab backend is written primarily with Rails so it uses
[Rails routing](https://guides.rubyonrails.org/routing.html). Beside Rails best
practices, there are few rules unique to the GitLab application. To
support subgroups, GitLab project and group routes use the wildcard
character to match project and group rou... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Routing
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
The GitLab backend is written primarily... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/mass_insert | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/mass_insert.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | mass_insert.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Mass inserting Rails models | null |
Setting the environment variable [`MASS_INSERT=1`](rake_tasks.md#environment-variables)
when running [`rake setup`](rake_tasks.md) creates millions of records, but these records
aren't visible to the `root` user by default.
To make any number of the mass-inserted projects visible to the `root` user, run
the followin... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Mass inserting Rails models
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Setting the environ... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/development_seed_files | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/development_seed_files.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | development_seed_files.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Development seed files | null |
Development seed files are listed under `gitlab/db/fixtures/development/` and `gitlab/ee/db/fixtures/development/`
folders. These files are used to populate the database with records to help verifying if feature functionalities, like charts, are working as expected on local host.
The task `rake db:seed_fu` can be us... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Development seed files
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Development seed files a... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/profiling | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/profiling.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | profiling.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Profiling | null |
To make it easier to track down performance problems GitLab comes with a set of
profiling tools, some of these are available by default while others need to be
explicitly enabled.
## Profiling a URL
There is a `Gitlab::Profiler.profile` method, and corresponding
`bin/profile-url` script, that enable profiling a GET... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Profiling
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
To make it easier to track down perfo... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/semver | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/semver.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | semver.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Semantic Versioning of Database Records | null |
[Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/) of records in a database introduces complexity when it comes to filtering and sorting. Since the database doesn't natively understand semantic versions it is necessary to extract the version components to separate columns in the database. The [SemanticVersionable](https://gi... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Semantic Versioning of Database Records
breadcrumbs:
- doc
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---
[Semant... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/projections | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/projections.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | projections.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Projections | null |
Projections are a way to define relations between files. Every file can have a
"related" or "alternate" file. It's common to consider spec files to be
"alternate" files to source files.
## How to use it
- Install an editor plugin that consumes projections
- Copy `.projections.json.example` to `.projections.json`
#... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Projections
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Projections are a way to define rel... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/polling | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/polling.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | polling.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Polling with ETag caching | null |
Polling for changes (repeatedly asking server if there are any new changes)
introduces high load on a GitLab instance, because it usually requires
executing at least a few SQL queries. This makes scaling large GitLab
instances (like GitLab.com) very difficult so we do not allow adding new
features that require pollin... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Polling with ETag caching
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
Polling for changes (... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/code_review | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/code_review.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | code_review.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Code Review Guidelines | null |
This guide contains advice and best practices for performing code review, and
having your code reviewed.
All merge requests for GitLab CE and EE, whether written by a GitLab team member
or a wider community member, must go through a code review process to ensure the
code is effective, understandable, maintainable, a... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Code Review Guidelines
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
This guide contains advi... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/dependencies | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/dependencies.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | dependencies.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Dependencies | null |
## Dependency updates
We use the [Renovate GitLab Bot](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/frontend/renovate-gitlab-bot) to
automatically create merge requests for updating (some) Node and Ruby dependencies in several projects.
You can find the up-to-date list of projects managed by the renovate bot in the project's READM... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Dependencies
breadcrumbs:
- doc
- development
---
## Dependency updates
We use the ... |
https://docs.gitlab.com/jh_features_review | https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/tree/master/doc/jh_features_review.md | 2025-08-13 | doc/development | [
"doc",
"development"
] | jh_features_review.md | none | unassigned | Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content. For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review. | Guidelines for reviewing JiHu (JH) Edition related merge requests | null |
We have two kinds of changes related to JH:
- Inside `jh/`
- This is beyond EE repository and not the intention for this documentation.
- Outside `jh/`
- These will have to sit in EE repository, so reviewers and maintainers for
EE repository will have to review and maintain. This includes codes like
`Git... | ---
stage: none
group: unassigned
info: Any user with at least the Maintainer role can merge updates to this content.
For details, see https://docs.gitlab.com/development/development_processes/#development-guidelines-review.
title: Guidelines for reviewing JiHu (JH) Edition related merge requests
breadcrumbs:
- doc
-... |
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