API

Overview

GitLab offers a very extensive API

The API is located at /api/v4/

The notes how to use the API include:

• Authentication (see next slides)
• Pagination (see next slides)
• Objects (projects, group etc.) are referenced by ID or url-encoded path (/ is %2F)
• Rate limits (mentioned earlier)

Resources

Resources for every aspect of GitLab

Authentication

Authentication using a token (personal/group/project)

Send token in HTTP header using Private-Token:

curl "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects" \
    --header "Private-Token: <your_access_token>"

Pagination

Pagination done by offset

GitLab API returns HTTP headers:

Keyset-based pagination is also supported

Hands-On

1. Retrieve projects using a private access token:

    curl http://gitlab.${DOMAIN}/api/v4/projects \
        --silent \
        --header "Private-Token: <TOKEN>"
   

2. Check pagination headers:

    curl http://gitlab.${DOMAIN}/api/v4/projects \
        --silent \
        --verbose \
        --header "Private-Token: <TOKEN>"
   

glab helps talking with the API