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# GitLab Documentation

Welcome to [GitLab](https://about.gitlab.com/), a Git-based fully featured
platform for software development!

GitLab offers the most scalable Git-based fully integrated platform for software development, with flexible products and subscription plans.

## Self-hosted GitLab

With GitLab self-hosted, you deploy your own GitLab instance on-premises or on a private cloud of your choice. GitLab self-hosted is offered in [free and paid](https://about.gitlab.com/products/) subscriptions:

- **Libre**: [Open source](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce), for small teams, personal projects (former GitLab Community Edition "CE"). Also includes unlicensed users and expired trials for an unlimited time.
- **Starter**: [Open core](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ee/), for co-located teams with a single project who need professional support (former GitLab Enterprise Edition Starter "EES").
- **Premium**: [Open core](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ee/), for distributed teams who need advanced features, high availability, and 24/7 support (former GitLab Enterprise Edition Premium "EEP").
- **Ultimate**: [Open core](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ee/), for enterprises that want to align strategy and execution with enhanced security and compliance (former GitLab Enterprise Edition Ultimate "EEU").

Check all the features available in [GitLab self-hosted subscriptions](https://about.gitlab.com/products/).

> GitLab paid subscriptions contains all features available in **Libre**,
plus premium features available in each version: **Starter**, **Premium**,
and **Ultimate**. Everything available in **Starter** is also available in **Premium**. Every feature
available in **Premium** is also available in **Ultimate**.

## GitLab.com

GitLab.com is the our SaaS offering. It's hosted, managed, and administered by GitLab, with [free and paid plans](https://about.gitlab.com/gitlab-com/) for individuals and teams:

- **Free**: Unlimited private repositories and unlimited collaborators on a project. Private repos get access to **Libre** features, [public repos](https://gitlab.com/explore) get access to Gold features.
- **Bronze**: For teams that need access to more advanced workflow features.
- **Silver**: For teams that need more robust DevOps capabilities, compliance and faster support.
- **Gold**: Great with many CI/CD jobs. Every public project get the features of Gold for free irrespective of their plan.

Check all the features available in [GitLab.com plans](https://about.gitlab.com/gitlab-com/).

## Shortcuts to GitLab's most visited docs

| [GitLab CI/CD](ci/README.md) | Other |
| :----- | :----- |
| [Quick start guide](ci/quick_start/README.md) | [API](api/README.md) |
| [Configuring `.gitlab-ci.yml`](ci/yaml/README.md) | [SSH authentication](ssh/README.md) |
| [Using Docker images](ci/docker/using_docker_images.md) | [GitLab Pages](user/project/pages/index.md) |

- [User documentation](user/index.md)
- [Administrator documentation](administration/index.md)
- [Contributor documentation](#contributor-documentation)

## Getting started with GitLab

- [GitLab Basics](gitlab-basics/README.md): Start working on your command line and on GitLab.
- [GitLab Workflow](workflow/README.md): Enhance your workflow with the best of GitLab Workflow.
  - See also [GitLab Workflow - an overview](https://about.gitlab.com/2016/10/25/gitlab-workflow-an-overview/).
- [GitLab Markdown](user/markdown.md): GitLab's advanced formatting system (GitLab Flavored Markdown).
- [GitLab Quick Actions](user/project/quick_actions.md): Textual shortcuts for common actions on issues or merge requests that are usually done by clicking buttons or dropdowns in GitLab's UI.
- [Auto DevOps](topics/autodevops/index.md)

### User account

- [User account](user/profile/index.md): Manage your account
  - [Authentication](topics/authentication/index.md): Account security with two-factor authentication, setup your ssh keys and deploy keys for secure access to your projects.
  - [Profile settings](user/profile/index.md#profile-settings): Manage your profile settings, two factor authentication and more.
- [User permissions](user/permissions.md): Learn what each role in a project (external/guest/reporter/developer/master/owner) can do.

### Projects and groups

- [Projects](user/project/index.md):
  - [Project settings](user/project/settings/index.md)
  - [Create a project](gitlab-basics/create-project.md)
  - [Fork a project](gitlab-basics/fork-project.md)
  - [Importing and exporting projects between instances](user/project/settings/import_export.md).
  - [Project access](public_access/public_access.md): Setting up your project's visibility to public, internal, or private.
  - [GitLab Pages](user/project/pages/index.md): Build, test, and deploy your static website with GitLab Pages.
- [Groups](user/group/index.md): Organize your projects in groups.
  - [Subgroups](user/group/subgroups/index.md)
- [Search through GitLab](user/search/index.md): Search for issues, merge requests, projects, groups, todos, and issues in Issue Boards.
- [Snippets](user/snippets.md): Snippets allow you to create little bits of code.
- [Wikis](user/project/wiki/index.md): Enhance your repository documentation with built-in wikis.

### Repository

Manage your [repositories](user/project/repository/index.md) from the UI (user interface):

- [Files](user/project/repository/index.md#files)
  - [Create a file](user/project/repository/web_editor.md#create-a-file)
  - [Upload a file](user/project/repository/web_editor.md#upload-a-file)
  - [File templates](user/project/repository/web_editor.md#template-dropdowns)
  - [Create a directory](user/project/repository/web_editor.md#create-a-directory)
  - [Start a merge request](user/project/repository/web_editor.md#tips) (when committing via UI)
- [Branches](user/project/repository/branches/index.md)
  - [Default branch](user/project/repository/branches/index.md#default-branch)
  - [Create a branch](user/project/repository/web_editor.md#create-a-new-branch)
  - [Protected branches](user/project/protected_branches.md#protected-branches)
  - [Delete merged branches](user/project/repository/branches/index.md#delete-merged-branches)
- [Commits](user/project/repository/index.md#commits)
  - [Signing commits](user/project/repository/gpg_signed_commits/index.md): use GPG to sign your commits.

### Issues and Merge Requests (MRs)

- [Discussions](user/discussions/index.md): Threads, comments, and resolvable discussions in issues, commits, and  merge requests.
- [Issues](user/project/issues/index.md)
- [Project issue Board](user/project/issue_board.md)
- [Issues and merge requests templates](user/project/description_templates.md): Create templates for submitting new issues and merge requests.
- [Labels](user/project/labels.md): Categorize your issues or merge requests based on descriptive titles.
- [Merge Requests](user/project/merge_requests/index.md)
  - [Work In Progress Merge Requests](user/project/merge_requests/work_in_progress_merge_requests.md)
  - [Merge Request discussion resolution](user/discussions/index.md#moving-a-single-discussion-to-a-new-issue): Resolve discussions, move discussions in a merge request to an issue, only allow merge requests to be merged if all discussions are resolved.
  - [Checkout merge requests locally](user/project/merge_requests/index.md#checkout-merge-requests-locally)
  - [Cherry-pick](user/project/merge_requests/cherry_pick_changes.md)
- [Milestones](user/project/milestones/index.md): Organize issues and merge requests into a cohesive group, optionally setting a due date.
- [Todos](workflow/todos.md): A chronological list of to-dos that are waiting for your input, all in a simple dashboard.

### Git and GitLab

- [Git](topics/git/index.md): Getting started with Git, branching strategies, Git LFS, advanced use.
- [Git cheatsheet](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-com/marketing/raw/master/design/print/git-cheatsheet/print-pdf/git-cheatsheet.pdf): Download a PDF describing the most used Git operations.
- [GitLab Flow](workflow/gitlab_flow.md): explore the best of Git with the GitLab Flow strategy.

### Migrate and import your projects from other platforms

- [Importing to GitLab](user/project/import/index.md): Import your projects from GitHub, Bitbucket, GitLab.com, FogBugz and SVN into GitLab.
- [Migrating from SVN](workflow/importing/migrating_from_svn.md): Convert a SVN repository to Git and GitLab.

### Continuous Integration, Delivery, and Deployment

- [GitLab CI](ci/README.md): Explore the features and capabilities of Continuous Integration, Continuous Delivery, and Continuous Deployment with GitLab.
  - [Auto Deploy](ci/autodeploy/index.md): Configure GitLab CI for the deployment of your application.
  - [Review Apps](ci/review_apps/index.md): Preview changes to your app right from a merge request.
- [GitLab Cycle Analytics](user/project/cycle_analytics.md): Cycle Analytics measures the time it takes to go from an [idea to production](https://about.gitlab.com/2016/08/05/continuous-integration-delivery-and-deployment-with-gitlab/#from-idea-to-production-with-gitlab) for each project you have.
- [GitLab Container Registry](user/project/container_registry.md): Learn how to use GitLab's built-in Container Registry.

### Automation

- [API](api/README.md): Automate GitLab via a simple and powerful API.
- [GitLab Webhooks](user/project/integrations/webhooks.md): Let GitLab notify you when new code has been pushed to your project.

### Integrations

- [Project Services](user/project/integrations/project_services.md): Integrate a project with external services, such as CI and chat.
- [GitLab Integration](integration/README.md): Integrate with multiple third-party services with GitLab to allow external issue trackers and external authentication.
- [Trello Power-Up](integration/trello_power_up.md): Integrate with GitLab's Trello Power-Up

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## Administrator documentation

[Administration documentation](administration/index.md) applies to admin users of [GitLab
self-hosted instances](#self-hosted-gitlab): Libre, Starter, Premium, Ultimate.

Learn how to install, configure, update, upgrade, integrate, and maintain your own instance.
Regular users don't have access to GitLab administration tools and settings.

## Contributor documentation

GitLab Community Edition is [open source](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/)
and Enterprise Editions are [open-core](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ee/).
Learn how to contribute to GitLab:

- [Development](development/README.md): All styleguides and explanations how to contribute.
- [Legal](legal/README.md): Contributor license agreements.
- [Writing documentation](development/writing_documentation.md): Contributing to GitLab Docs.