path: root/doc/api/epics.md

---
stage: Plan
group: Product Planning
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/#designated-technical-writers
---

# Epics API **(PREMIUM)**

> - Introduced in [GitLab Ultimate](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/) 10.2.
> - Single-level Epics [were moved](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/37081) to [GitLab Premium](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/) in 12.8.

Every API call to epic must be authenticated.

If a user is not a member of a group and the group is private, a `GET` request on that group will result to a `404` status code.

If epics feature is not available a `403` status code will be returned.

## Epic issues API

The [epic issues API](epic_issues.md) allows you to interact with issues associated with an epic.

## Milestone dates integration

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/6448) in GitLab 11.3.

Since start date and due date can be dynamically sourced from related issue milestones, when user has edit permission,
additional fields will be shown. These include two boolean fields `start_date_is_fixed` and `due_date_is_fixed`,
and four date fields `start_date_fixed`, `start_date_from_inherited_source`, `due_date_fixed` and `due_date_from_inherited_source`.

- `end_date` has been deprecated in favor of `due_date`.
- `start_date_from_milestones` has been deprecated in favor of `start_date_from_inherited_source`
- `due_date_from_milestones` has been deprecated in favor of `due_date_from_inherited_source`

## Epics pagination

By default, `GET` requests return 20 results at a time because the API results
are paginated.

Read more on [pagination](README.md#pagination).

CAUTION: **Deprecation:**
> `reference` attribute in response is deprecated in favour of `references`.
> Introduced [GitLab 12.6](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/20354)

NOTE: **Note:**
> `references.relative` is relative to the group that the epic is being requested. When epic is fetched from its origin group
> `relative` format would be the same as `short` format and when requested cross groups it is expected to be the same as `full` format.

## List epics for a group

Gets all epics of the requested group and its subgroups.

```plaintext
GET /groups/:id/epics
GET /groups/:id/epics?author_id=5
GET /groups/:id/epics?labels=bug,reproduced
GET /groups/:id/epics?state=opened
```

| Attribute           | Type             | Required   | Description                                                                                                                 |
| ------------------- | ---------------- | ---------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `id`                | integer/string   | yes        | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the group](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user               |
| `author_id`         | integer          | no         | Return epics created by the given user `id`                                                                                 |
| `labels`            | string           | no         | Return epics matching a comma separated list of labels names. Label names from the epic group or a parent group can be used |
| `with_labels_details` | boolean        | no         | If `true`, response will return more details for each label in labels field: `:name`, `:color`, `:description`, `:description_html`, `:text_color`. Default is `false`. Introduced in [GitLab 12.7](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/21413)|
| `order_by`          | string           | no         | Return epics ordered by `created_at` or `updated_at` fields. Default is `created_at`                                        |
| `sort`              | string           | no         | Return epics sorted in `asc` or `desc` order. Default is `desc`                                                             |
| `search`            | string           | no         | Search epics against their `title` and `description`                                                                        |
| `state`             | string           | no         | Search epics against their `state`, possible filters: `opened`, `closed` and `all`, default: `all`                          |
| `created_after`     | datetime         | no         | Return epics created on or after the given time. Expected in ISO 8601 format (`2019-03-15T08:00:00Z`) |
| `created_before`    | datetime         | no         | Return epics created on or before the given time. Expected in ISO 8601 format (`2019-03-15T08:00:00Z`) |
| `updated_after`     | datetime         | no         | Return epics updated on or after the given time. Expected in ISO 8601 format (`2019-03-15T08:00:00Z`) |
| `updated_before`    | datetime         | no         | Return epics updated on or before the given time. Expected in ISO 8601 format (`2019-03-15T08:00:00Z`) |
| `include_ancestor_groups` | boolean    | no         | Include epics from the requested group's ancestors. Default is `false`                                                      |
| `include_descendant_groups` | boolean  | no         | Include epics from the requested group's descendants. Default is `true`                                                     |
| `my_reaction_emoji` | string           | no         | Return epics reacted by the authenticated user by the given emoji. `None` returns epics not given a reaction. `Any` returns epics given at least one reaction. Introduced in [GitLab 13.0](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/31479)|

```shell
curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/1/epics"
```

Example response:

```json
[
  {
  "id": 29,
  "iid": 4,
  "group_id": 7,
  "parent_id": 23,
  "title": "Accusamus iste et ullam ratione voluptatem omnis debitis dolor est.",
  "description": "Molestias dolorem eos vitae expedita impedit necessitatibus quo voluptatum.",
  "state": "opened",
  "confidential": "false",
  "web_url": "http://gitlab.example.com/groups/test/-/epics/4",
  "reference": "&4",
  "references": {
    "short": "&4",
    "relative": "&4",
    "full": "test&4"
  },
  "author": {
    "id": 10,
    "name": "Lu Mayer",
    "username": "kam",
    "state": "active",
    "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/018729e129a6f31c80a6327a30196823?s=80&d=identicon",
    "web_url": "http://gitlab.example.com/kam"
  },
  "start_date": null,
  "start_date_is_fixed": false,
  "start_date_fixed": null,
  "start_date_from_milestones": null,       //deprecated in favor of start_date_from_inherited_source
  "start_date_from_inherited_source": null,
  "end_date": "2018-07-31",                 //deprecated in favor of due_date
  "due_date": "2018-07-31",
  "due_date_is_fixed": false,
  "due_date_fixed": null,
  "due_date_from_milestones": "2018-07-31", //deprecated in favor of start_date_from_inherited_source
  "due_date_from_inherited_source": "2018-07-31",
  "created_at": "2018-07-17T13:36:22.770Z",
  "updated_at": "2018-07-18T12:22:05.239Z",
  "closed_at": "2018-08-18T12:22:05.239Z",
  "labels": [],
  "upvotes": 4,
  "downvotes": 0,
  "_links":{
      "self": "http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/7/epics/4",
      "epic_issues": "http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/7/epics/4/issues",
      "group":"http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/7"
  }
  },
  {
  "id": 50,
  "iid": 35,
  "group_id": 17,
  "parent_id": 19,
  "title": "Accusamus iste et ullam ratione voluptatem omnis debitis dolor est.",
  "description": "Molestias dolorem eos vitae expedita impedit necessitatibus quo voluptatum.",
  "state": "opened",
  "web_url": "http://gitlab.example.com/groups/test/sample/-/epics/35",
  "reference": "&4",
  "references": {
    "short": "&4",
    "relative": "sample&4",
    "full": "test/sample&4"
  },
  "author": {
    "id": 10,
    "name": "Lu Mayer",
    "username": "kam",
    "state": "active",
    "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/018729e129a6f31c80a6327a30196823?s=80&d=identicon",
    "web_url": "http://gitlab.example.com/kam"
  },
  "start_date": null,
  "start_date_is_fixed": false,
  "start_date_fixed": null,
  "start_date_from_milestones": null,       //deprecated in favor of start_date_from_inherited_source
  "start_date_from_inherited_source": null,
  "end_date": "2018-07-31",                 //deprecated in favor of due_date
  "due_date": "2018-07-31",
  "due_date_is_fixed": false,
  "due_date_fixed": null,
  "due_date_from_milestones": "2018-07-31", //deprecated in favor of start_date_from_inherited_source
  "due_date_from_inherited_source": "2018-07-31",
  "created_at": "2018-07-17T13:36:22.770Z",
  "updated_at": "2018-07-18T12:22:05.239Z",
  "closed_at": "2018-08-18T12:22:05.239Z",
  "labels": [],
  "upvotes": 4,
  "downvotes": 0,
  "_links":{
      "self": "http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/17/epics/35",
      "epic_issues": "http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/17/epics/35/issues",
      "group":"http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/17"
  }
  }
]
```

## Single epic

Gets a single epic

```plaintext
GET /groups/:id/epics/:epic_iid
```

| Attribute           | Type             | Required   | Description                                                                            |
| ------------------- | ---------------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `id`                | integer/string   | yes        | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the group](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user                |
| `epic_iid`          | integer/string   | yes        | The internal ID of the epic.  |

```shell
curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/1/epics/5"
```

Example response:

```json
{
  "id": 30,
  "iid": 5,
  "group_id": 7,
  "title": "Ea cupiditate dolores ut vero consequatur quasi veniam voluptatem et non.",
  "description": "Molestias dolorem eos vitae expedita impedit necessitatibus quo voluptatum.",
  "state": "opened",
  "web_url": "http://gitlab.example.com/groups/test/-/epics/5",
  "reference": "&5",
  "references": {
    "short": "&5",
    "relative": "&5",
    "full": "test&5"
  },
  "author":{
    "id": 7,
    "name": "Pamella Huel",
    "username": "arnita",
    "state": "active",
    "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/a2f5c6fcef64c9c69cb8779cb292be1b?s=80&d=identicon",
    "web_url": "http://gitlab.example.com/arnita"
  },
  "start_date": null,
  "start_date_is_fixed": false,
  "start_date_fixed": null,
  "start_date_from_milestones": null,       //deprecated in favor of start_date_from_inherited_source
  "start_date_from_inherited_source": null,
  "end_date": "2018-07-31",                 //deprecated in favor of due_date
  "due_date": "2018-07-31",
  "due_date_is_fixed": false,
  "due_date_fixed": null,
  "due_date_from_milestones": "2018-07-31", //deprecated in favor of start_date_from_inherited_source
  "due_date_from_inherited_source": "2018-07-31",
  "created_at": "2018-07-17T13:36:22.770Z",
  "updated_at": "2018-07-18T12:22:05.239Z",
  "closed_at": "2018-08-18T12:22:05.239Z",
  "labels": [],
  "upvotes": 4,
  "downvotes": 0,
  "subscribed": true,
  "_links":{
      "self": "http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/7/epics/5",
      "epic_issues": "http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/7/epics/5/issues",
      "group":"http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/7"
  }
}
```

## New epic

Creates a new epic.

NOTE: **Note:**
Starting with GitLab [11.3](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/6448), `start_date` and `end_date` should no longer be assigned
directly, as they now represent composite values. You can configure it via the `*_is_fixed` and
`*_fixed` fields instead.

```plaintext
POST /groups/:id/epics
```

| Attribute           | Type             | Required   | Description                                                                            |
| ------------------- | ---------------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `id`                | integer/string   | yes        | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the group](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user                |
| `title`             | string           | yes        | The title of the epic |
| `labels`            | string           | no         | The comma separated list of labels |
| `description`       | string           | no         | The description of the epic. Limited to 1,048,576 characters.  |
| `confidential`      | boolean          | no         | Whether the epic should be confidential |
| `created_at`        | string           | no         | When the epic was created. Date time string, ISO 8601 formatted, for example `2016-03-11T03:45:40Z` . Requires administrator or project/group owner privileges ([introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/255309) in GitLab 13.5) |
| `start_date_is_fixed` | boolean        | no         | Whether start date should be sourced from `start_date_fixed` or from milestones (since 11.3) |
| `start_date_fixed`  | string           | no         | The fixed start date of an epic (since 11.3) |
| `due_date_is_fixed` | boolean          | no         | Whether due date should be sourced from `due_date_fixed` or from milestones (since 11.3) |
| `due_date_fixed`    | string           | no         | The fixed due date of an epic (since 11.3) |
| `parent_id`         | integer/string   | no         | The ID of a parent epic (since 11.11) |

```shell
curl --request POST --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/1/epics?title=Epic&description=Epic%20description"
```

Example response:

```json
{
  "id": 33,
  "iid": 6,
  "group_id": 7,
  "title": "Epic",
  "description": "Epic description",
  "state": "opened",
  "confidential": "false",
  "web_url": "http://gitlab.example.com/groups/test/-/epics/6",
  "reference": "&6",
  "references": {
    "short": "&6",
    "relative": "&6",
    "full": "test&6"
  },
  "author": {
    "name" : "Alexandra Bashirian",
    "avatar_url" : null,
    "state" : "active",
    "web_url" : "https://gitlab.example.com/eileen.lowe",
    "id" : 18,
    "username" : "eileen.lowe"
  },
  "start_date": null,
  "start_date_is_fixed": false,
  "start_date_fixed": null,
  "start_date_from_milestones": null,       //deprecated in favor of start_date_from_inherited_source
  "start_date_from_inherited_source": null,
  "end_date": "2018-07-31",                 //deprecated in favor of due_date
  "due_date": "2018-07-31",
  "due_date_is_fixed": false,
  "due_date_fixed": null,
  "due_date_from_milestones": "2018-07-31", //deprecated in favor of start_date_from_inherited_source
  "due_date_from_inherited_source": "2018-07-31",
  "created_at": "2018-07-17T13:36:22.770Z",
  "updated_at": "2018-07-18T12:22:05.239Z",
  "closed_at": "2018-08-18T12:22:05.239Z",
  "labels": [],
  "upvotes": 4,
  "downvotes": 0,
  "_links":{
    "self": "http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/7/epics/6",
    "epic_issues": "http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/7/epics/6/issues",
    "group":"http://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/7"
  }
}
```

## Update epic

Updates an epic.

NOTE: **Note:**
Starting with GitLab [11.3](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/6448), `start_date` and `end_date` should no longer be assigned
directly, as they now represent composite values. You can configure it via the `*_is_fixed` and
`*_fixed` fields instead.

```plaintext
PUT /groups/:id/epics/:epic_iid
```

| Attribute           | Type             | Required   | Description                                                                            |
| ------------------- | ---------------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `id`                | integer/string   | yes        | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the group](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user                |
| `epic_iid`          | integer/string   | yes        | The internal ID of the epic  |
| `title`             | string           | no         | The title of an epic |
| `description`       | string           | no         | The description of an epic. Limited to 1,048,576 characters.  |
| `confidential`      | boolean          | no         | Whether the epic should be confidential |
| `labels`            | string           | no         | Comma-separated label names for an issue. Set to an empty string to unassign all labels. |
| `add_labels`        | string           | no         | Comma-separated label names to add to an issue. |
| `remove_labels`     | string           | no         | Comma-separated label names to remove from an issue. |
| `updated_at`        | string           | no         | When the epic was updated. Date time string, ISO 8601 formatted, for example `2016-03-11T03:45:40Z` . Requires administrator or project/group owner privileges ([introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/255309) in GitLab 13.5) |
| `start_date_is_fixed` | boolean        | no         | Whether start date should be sourced from `start_date_fixed` or from milestones (since 11.3) |
| `start_date_fixed`  | string           | no         | The fixed start date of an epic (since 11.3) |
| `due_date_is_fixed` | boolean          | no         | Whether due date should be sourced from `due_date_fixed` or from milestones (since 11.3) |
| `due_date_fixed`    | string           | no         | The fixed due date of an epic (since 11.3) |
| `state_event`       | string           | no         | State event for an epic. Set `close` to close the epic and `reopen` to reopen it (since 11.4) |

```shell
curl --request PUT --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/1/epics/5?title=New%20Title"
```

Example response:

```json
{
  "id": 33,
  "iid": 6,
  "group_id": 7,
  "title": "New Title",
  "description": "Epic description",
  "state": "opened",
  "confidential": "false",
  "web_url": "http://gitlab.example.com/groups/test/-/epics/6",
  "reference": "&6",
  "references": {
    "short": "&6",
    "relative": "&6",
    "full": "test&6"
  },
  "author": {
    "name" : "Alexandra Bashirian",
    "avatar_url" : null,
    "state" : "active",
    "web_url" : "https://gitlab.example.com/eileen.lowe",
    "id" : 18,
    "username" : "eileen.lowe"
  },
  "start_date": null,
  "start_date_is_fixed": false,
  "start_date_fixed": null,
  "start_date_from_milestones": null,       //deprecated in favor of start_date_from_inherited_source
  "start_date_from_inherited_source": null,
  "end_date": "2018-07-31",                 //deprecated in favor of due_date
  "due_date": "2018-07-31",
  "due_date_is_fixed": false,
  "due_date_fixed": null,
  "due_date_from_milestones": "2018-07-31", //deprecated in favor of start_date_from_inherited_source
  "due_date_from_inherited_source": "2018-07-31",
  "created_at": "2018-07-17T13:36:22.770Z",
  "updated_at": "2018-07-18T12:22:05.239Z",
  "closed_at": "2018-08-18T12:22:05.239Z",
  "labels": [],
  "upvotes": 4,
  "downvotes": 0
}
```

## Delete epic

Deletes an epic

```plaintext
DELETE /groups/:id/epics/:epic_iid
```

| Attribute           | Type             | Required   | Description                                                                            |
| ------------------- | ---------------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `id`                | integer/string   | yes        | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the group](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user                |
| `epic_iid`          | integer/string   | yes        | The internal ID of the epic.  |

```shell
curl --request DELETE --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/1/epics/5"
```

## Create a to-do item

Manually creates a to-do item for the current user on an epic. If
there already exists a to-do item for the user on that epic, status code `304` is
returned.

```plaintext
POST /groups/:id/epics/:epic_iid/todo
```

| Attribute   | Type    | Required | Description                          |
|-------------|---------|----------|--------------------------------------|
| `id`        | integer/string | yes   | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the group](README.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user  |
| `epic_iid` | integer | yes          | The internal ID of a group's epic |

```shell
curl --request POST --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/1/epics/5/todo"
```

Example response:

```json
{
  "id": 112,
  "group": {
    "id": 1,
    "name": "Gitlab",
    "path": "gitlab",
    "kind": "group",
    "full_path": "base/gitlab",
    "parent_id": null
  },
  "author": {
    "name": "Administrator",
    "username": "root",
    "id": 1,
    "state": "active",
    "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e64c7d89f26bd1972efa854d13d7dd61?s=80&d=identicon",
    "web_url": "https://gitlab.example.com/root"
  },
  "action_name": "marked",
  "target_type": "epic",
  "target": {
    "id": 30,
    "iid": 5,
    "group_id": 1,
    "title": "Ea cupiditate dolores ut vero consequatur quasi veniam voluptatem et non.",
    "description": "Molestias dolorem eos vitae expedita impedit necessitatibus quo voluptatum.",
    "author":{
      "id": 7,
      "name": "Pamella Huel",
      "username": "arnita",
      "state": "active",
      "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/a2f5c6fcef64c9c69cb8779cb292be1b?s=80&d=identicon",
      "web_url": "http://gitlab.example.com/arnita"
    },
    "web_url": "http://gitlab.example.com/groups/test/-/epics/5",
    "reference": "&5",
    "references": {
      "short": "&5",
      "relative": "&5",
      "full": "test&5"
    },
    "start_date": null,
    "end_date": null,
    "created_at": "2018-01-21T06:21:13.165Z",
    "updated_at": "2018-01-22T12:41:41.166Z",
    "closed_at": "2018-08-18T12:22:05.239Z"
  },
  "target_url": "https://gitlab.example.com/groups/epics/5",
  "body": "Vel voluptas atque dicta mollitia adipisci qui at.",
  "state": "pending",
  "created_at": "2016-07-01T11:09:13.992Z"
}
```