Orbit API

Tier: Premium, Ultimate
Offering: GitLab.com
Status: Experiment

The availability of this feature is controlled by a feature flag. For more information, see the history. This feature is available for testing, but not ready for production use.

Use this API to run queries, retrieve schemas, and check cluster health for Orbit.

Create a query

Creates and executes a query against the Orbit gRPC service.

POST /api/v4/orbit/query

Supported attributes:

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
`query`	object	Yes	The query DSL object.
`query_type`	string	No	The query language. Only `json` is supported. Default is `json`.
`response_format`	string	No	One of `raw` or `llm`. Default is `raw`.

If successful, returns 200 OK and the following response attributes:

Attribute	Type	Description
`result`	array or string	The query results. An array when `raw`, a string when `llm`.
`query_type`	string	The query language, for example `json`.
`raw_query_strings`	string array	The underlying queries that were run.
`row_count`	integer	The number of rows returned.

Examples

Retrieve a user by username:

curl --request POST \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "query": {
      "query_type": "search",
      "node": {"id": "u", "entity": "User", "filters": {"username": "john_smith"}}
    }
  }' \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/orbit/query"

Example response:

{
  "result": [
    {
      "u_id": 1,
      "u_username": "john_smith",
      "u_name": "John Smith",
      "u_state": "active",
      "u_type": "User"
    }
  ],
  "query_type": "search",
  "row_count": 1
}

Find merged merge requests in a project:

curl --request POST \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "query": {
      "query_type": "traversal",
      "nodes": [
        {"id": "p", "entity": "Project", "node_ids": [8]},
        {"id": "mr", "entity": "MergeRequest", "filters": {"state": "merged"}}
      ],
      "relationships": [{"type": "IN_PROJECT", "from": "mr", "to": "p"}]
    }
  }' \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/orbit/query"

Example response:

{
  "result": [
    {
      "p_name": "Diaspora Client",
      "p_full_path": "diaspora/diaspora-client",
      "mr_id": 43,
      "mr_iid": 1,
      "mr_title": "Resolve connection timeout on large payloads",
      "mr_state": "merged"
    },
    {
      "mr_id": 44,
      "mr_iid": 2,
      "mr_title": "Replace deprecated API calls in federation module",
      "mr_state": "merged"
    }
  ],
  "query_type": "traversal",
  "row_count": 2
}

Count merge requests per project:

curl --request POST \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "query": {
      "query_type": "aggregation",
      "nodes": [
        {"id": "p", "entity": "Project"},
        {"id": "mr", "entity": "MergeRequest"}
      ],
      "relationships": [{"type": "IN_PROJECT", "from": "mr", "to": "p"}],
      "aggregations": [{"function": "count", "target": "mr", "group_by": "p", "alias": "mr_count"}]
    }
  }' \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/orbit/query"

Example response:

{
  "result": [
    {"p_name": "Diaspora Client", "p_full_path": "diaspora/diaspora-client", "mr_count": 8},
    {"p_name": "Puppet", "p_full_path": "brightbox/puppet", "mr_count": 6}
  ],
  "query_type": "aggregation",
  "row_count": 2
}

Find outgoing neighbors of a user:

curl --request POST \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "query": {
      "query_type": "neighbors",
      "node": {"id": "u", "entity": "User", "node_ids": [43]},
      "neighbors": {"node": "u"}
    }
  }' \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/orbit/query"

Example response:

{
  "result": [
    {
      "_gkg_relationship_type": "MEMBER_OF",
      "_gkg_neighbor_type": "Project",
      "id": 5,
      "name": "Diaspora Client"
    },
    {
      "_gkg_relationship_type": "MEMBER_OF",
      "_gkg_neighbor_type": "Group",
      "id": 29,
      "name": "diaspora"
    },
    {
      "_gkg_relationship_type": "AUTHORED",
      "_gkg_neighbor_type": "MergeRequest",
      "id": 43,
      "title": "Resolve connection timeout on large payloads"
    }
  ],
  "query_type": "neighbors",
  "row_count": 3
}

Find the shortest path between two projects:

curl --request POST \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "query": {
      "query_type": "path_finding",
      "nodes": [
        {"id": "p1", "entity": "Project", "node_ids": [8]},
        {"id": "p2", "entity": "Project", "node_ids": [5]}
      ],
      "path": {"type": "shortest", "from": "p1", "to": "p2", "max_depth": 3}
    }
  }' \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/orbit/query"

Example response:

{
  "result": [
    {
      "depth": 2,
      "path": [
        {"id": 8, "entity_type": "Project", "name": "Diaspora Client", "full_path": "diaspora/diaspora-client"},
        {"id": 43, "entity_type": "User", "name": "John Smith", "username": "john_smith"},
        {"id": 5, "entity_type": "Project", "name": "Puppet", "full_path": "brightbox/puppet"}
      ],
      "edges": ["MEMBER_OF", "MEMBER_OF"]
    }
  ],
  "query_type": "path_finding",
  "row_count": 1
}

Execute a named query

Executes a server-defined named query. Prefer this endpoint over create a query for programmatic consumers: the query structure lives on the server, so it cannot drift from the DSL grammar or ontology.

POST /api/v4/orbit/query/:name

Supported attributes:

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
`name`	string	Yes	The named query identifier, for example `recent_merges`.
`parameters`	object	No	Values for the placeholders the named query declares.
`response_format`	string	No	One of `raw` or `llm`. Default is `raw`.

The request body must use Content-Type: application/json. Form encoding stringifies nested parameter values, which the per-query parameter schemas reject.

If successful, returns 200 OK with the same response attributes as create a query.

Example request:

curl --request POST \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{"parameters": {}}' \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/orbit/query/my_neighbors"

List query templates

Lists the server-defined named queries with their query DSL rendered for the authenticated user.

For programmatic consumers, prefer executing named queries directly with parameters. Use the templates and their rendered raw_query from this endpoint only where displaying the query DSL text is the goal, such as populating a query editor or explorer with the text of a preset.

The rendered query DSL is not the same for every user:

Identity values, like the ID of the authenticated user, are resolved server-side from the request credentials. The same request returns different raw_query values for different users. Do not cache or share templates across users.
Placeholders for caller-supplied values, like the selected nodes in expand_neighbors, are filled with server-declared example values. Replace them with real values before you execute the query.

GET /api/v4/orbit/query/templates

If successful, returns 200 OK and an array of template objects with the following attributes:

Attribute	Type	Description
`name`	string	The name of the named query.
`description`	string	The description of the named query.
`raw_query`	object	The query DSL rendered for the authenticated user.

Example request:

curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/orbit/query/templates"

Example response, where 43 is the ID of the authenticated user:

[
  {
    "name": "my_neighbors",
    "description": "Immediate graph neighborhood of the current user.",
    "raw_query": {
      "query_type": "neighbors",
      "node": {"id": "me", "entity": "User", "node_ids": [43]},
      "neighbors": {"node": "me", "direction": "both"},
      "limit": 100
    }
  },
  {
    "name": "recent_merges",
    "description": "Recently merged merge requests and the users who merged them.",
    "raw_query": {
      "query_type": "traversal",
      "nodes": [
        {"id": "u", "entity": "User", "columns": ["id", "username"]},
        {"id": "mr", "entity": "MergeRequest", "filters": {"state": "merged"}, "columns": ["id", "title", "merged_at"]}
      ],
      "relationships": [{"type": "MERGED", "from": "u", "to": "mr"}],
      "limit": 100
    }
  }
]

Retrieve the schema

Retrieves the Orbit schema.

GET /api/v4/orbit/schema

Supported attributes:

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
`expand`	string	No	Comma-separated node names to expand.
`response_format`	string	No	One of `raw` or `llm`. Default is `raw`.

If successful, returns 200 OK and the following response attributes:

Attribute	Type	Description
`schema_version`	string	The version of the schema.
`domains`	object array	The domain definitions.
`nodes`	object array	The node type definitions.
`edges`	object array	The edge type definitions.

Example request:

curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/orbit/schema?expand=MergeRequest"

Example response:

{
  "schema_version": "0.1",
  "domains": [
    {"name": "ci", "description": "Entities related to CI/CD pipelines, stages, and jobs.", "node_names": ["Job", "Pipeline", "Stage"]},
    {"name": "code_review", "node_names": ["MergeRequest", "MergeRequestDiff", "MergeRequestDiffFile"]},
    {"name": "core", "node_names": ["Group", "Note", "Project", "User"]},
    {"name": "plan", "node_names": ["Label", "Milestone", "WorkItem"]},
    {"name": "security", "node_names": ["Finding", "SecurityScan", "Vulnerability"]},
    {"name": "source_code", "node_names": ["Branch", "Definition", "Directory", "File", "ImportedSymbol"]}
  ],
  "nodes": [],
  "edges": []
}

Retrieve access and cluster health

Returns whether the authenticated user can access the Knowledge Graph, along with the cluster health. Use this endpoint to decide whether to expose Orbit actions before you call them. It always returns 200 OK, regardless of access or service health.

GET /api/v4/orbit/status

Supported attributes:

Attribute	Type	Required	Description
`response_format`	string	No	One of `raw` or `llm`. Default is `raw`.

If successful, returns 200 OK and the following response attributes:

Attribute	Type	Description
`user`	object	The requesting user’s access.
`user.available`	boolean	Whether the user can access the Knowledge Graph.
`system`	object	The cluster health, or `null` when the user has no access.
`system.status`	string	The cluster health status, for example `healthy` or `unknown`.
`system.timestamp`	string	The timestamp of the health check.
`system.version`	string	The service version.
`system.components`	array	The individual component statuses.

Example request:

curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/orbit/status"

Example response:

{
  "user": {
    "available": true
  },
  "system": {
    "status": "healthy",
    "timestamp": "2026-03-05T15:08:35.885160548+00:00",
    "version": "0.1.0",
    "components": [
      {"name": "gkg-indexer", "status": "healthy", "replicas": {"ready": 1, "desired": 1}, "metrics": {}},
      {"name": "gkg-webserver", "status": "healthy", "replicas": {"ready": 1, "desired": 1}, "metrics": {}},
      {"name": "clickhouse", "status": "healthy", "replicas": {"ready": 0, "desired": 0}, "metrics": {}}
    ]
  }
}

When the user has no access, system is null:

{
  "user": {
    "available": false
  },
  "system": null
}

List all tools

Lists all available Orbit operations.

GET /api/v4/orbit/tools

If successful, returns 200 OK and an array of tool objects with the following attributes:

Attribute	Type	Description
`name`	string	The name of the tool.
`description`	string	The description of the tool.
`parameters`	object	The parameter schema for the tool.

Example request:

curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/orbit/tools"

Example response:

[
  {
    "name": "query_graph",
    "description": "Execute graph queries to find nodes, traverse relationships...",
    "parameters": {
      "type": "object",
      "required": ["query"],
      "properties": {"query": {"type": "object"}}
    }
  },
  {
    "name": "get_graph_schema",
    "description": "List the GitLab Knowledge Graph schema...",
    "parameters": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {"expand_nodes": {"type": "array"}}
    }
  }
]