---
stage: Create
group: Source Code
info: "To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments"
type: reference
---

# Git Attributes **(FREE)**

GitLab supports defining custom [Git attributes](https://git-scm.com/docs/gitattributes) such as what
files to treat as binary, and what language to use for syntax highlighting
diffs.

To define these attributes, create a file called `.gitattributes` in the root
directory of your repository and push it to the default branch of your project.

## Encoding Requirements

The `.gitattributes` file _must_ be encoded in UTF-8 and _must not_ contain a
Byte Order Mark. If a different encoding is used, the file's contents are
ignored.

## Syntax Highlighting

The `.gitattributes` file can be used to define which language to use when
syntax highlighting files and diffs. See ["Syntax
Highlighting"](highlighting.md) for more information.