Protected branches API
- Tier: Free, Premium, Ultimate
- Offering: GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed, GitLab Dedicated
Use this API to manage branch protections for your repositories.
GitLab Premium and GitLab Ultimate support more granular protections for pushing to branches. Administrators can grant permission to modify and push to protected branches only to deploy keys, instead of specific users.
Valid access levels
The ProtectedRefAccess.allowed_access_levels
method defines the following access levels:
0
: No access30
: Developer role40
: Maintainer role60
: Administrator
List protected branches
Get a list of protected branches from a project as they are defined in the UI. If a wildcard is set, it is returned instead of the exact name of the branches that match that wildcard.
GET /projects/:id/protected_branches
Supported attributes:
Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
---|---|---|---|
id | integer or string | Yes | ID or URL-encoded path of the project. |
search | string | No | Name or part of the name of protected branches to search for. |
If successful, returns 200 OK
and the
following response attributes:
Attribute | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
allow_force_push | boolean | If true , force push is allowed on this branch. |
code_owner_approval_required | boolean | If true , code owner approval is required for pushes to this branch. |
id | integer | ID of the protected branch. |
inherited | boolean | If true , protection settings are inherited from parent group. Premium and Ultimate only. |
merge_access_levels | array | Array of merge access level configurations. |
merge_access_levels[].access_level | integer | Access level for merging. |
merge_access_levels[].access_level_description | string | Human-readable description of the access level. |
merge_access_levels[].group_id | integer | ID of the group with merge access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
merge_access_levels[].id | integer | ID of the merge access level configuration. |
merge_access_levels[].user_id | integer | ID of the user with merge access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
name | string | Name of the protected branch. |
push_access_levels | array | Array of push access level configurations. |
push_access_levels[].access_level | integer | Access level for pushing. |
push_access_levels[].access_level_description | string | Human-readable description of the access level. |
push_access_levels[].deploy_key_id | integer | ID of the deploy key with push access. |
push_access_levels[].group_id | integer | ID of the group with push access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
push_access_levels[].id | integer | ID of the push access level configuration. |
push_access_levels[].user_id | integer | ID of the user with push access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
In the following example request, the project ID is 5
.
curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/protected_branches"
The following example response includes:
- Two protected branches with IDs
100
and101
. push_access_levels
with IDs1001
,1002
, and1003
.merge_access_levels
with IDs2001
and2002
.
[
{
"id": 100,
"name": "main",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 1001,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
},
{
"id": 1002,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Deploy key",
"deploy_key_id": 1
}
],
"merge_access_levels": [
{
"id": 2001,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
}
],
"allow_force_push":false,
"code_owner_approval_required": false
},
{
"id": 101,
"name": "release/*",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 1003,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
}
],
"merge_access_levels": [
{
"id": 2002,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
}
],
"allow_force_push":false,
"code_owner_approval_required": false
}
]
Users on GitLab Premium or Ultimate also see
the user_id
, group_id
, and inherited
parameters. If the inherited
parameter
exists, the setting was inherited from the project’s group.
The following example response includes:
- One protected branch with ID
100
. push_access_levels
with IDs1001
and1002
.merge_access_levels
with ID2001
.
[
{
"id": 101,
"name": "main",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 1001,
"access_level": 40,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
},
{
"id": 1002,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Deploy key",
"deploy_key_id": 1,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null
}
],
"merge_access_levels": [
{
"id": 2001,
"access_level": null,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": 1234,
"access_level_description": "Example Merge Group"
}
],
"allow_force_push":false,
"code_owner_approval_required": false,
"inherited": true
}
]
Get a single protected branch or wildcard protected branch
Get a single protected branch or wildcard protected branch.
GET /projects/:id/protected_branches/:name
Supported attributes:
Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
---|---|---|---|
id | integer or string | Yes | ID or URL-encoded path of the project. |
name | string | Yes | Name of the branch or wildcard. |
If successful, returns 200 OK
and the
following response attributes:
Attribute | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
allow_force_push | boolean | If true , force push is allowed on this branch. |
code_owner_approval_required | boolean | If true , code owner approval is required for pushes to this branch. |
id | integer | ID of the protected branch. |
merge_access_levels | array | Array of merge access level configurations. |
merge_access_levels[].access_level | integer | Access level for merging. |
merge_access_levels[].access_level_description | string | Human-readable description of the access level. |
merge_access_levels[].group_id | integer | ID of the group with merge access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
merge_access_levels[].id | integer | ID of the merge access level configuration. |
merge_access_levels[].user_id | integer | ID of the user with merge access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
name | string | Name of the protected branch. |
push_access_levels | array | Array of push access level configurations. |
push_access_levels[].access_level | integer | Access level for pushing. |
push_access_levels[].access_level_description | string | Human-readable description of the access level. |
push_access_levels[].group_id | integer | ID of the group with push access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
push_access_levels[].id | integer | ID of the push access level configuration. |
push_access_levels[].user_id | integer | ID of the user with push access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
In the following example request, the project ID is 5
and branch name is main
:
curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/protected_branches/main"
Example response:
{
"id": 101,
"name": "main",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 1001,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
}
],
"merge_access_levels": [
{
"id": 2001,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
}
],
"allow_force_push":false,
"code_owner_approval_required": false
}
Users on GitLab Premium or Ultimate also see
the user_id
and group_id
parameters.
Example response:
{
"id": 101,
"name": "main",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 1001,
"access_level": 40,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
}
],
"merge_access_levels": [
{
"id": 2001,
"access_level": null,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": 1234,
"access_level_description": "Example Merge Group"
}
],
"allow_force_push":false,
"code_owner_approval_required": false
}
Protect repository branches
Protect a single repository branch or several project repository branches using a wildcard protected branch.
POST /projects/:id/protected_branches
Supported attributes:
Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
---|---|---|---|
id | integer or string | Yes | ID or URL-encoded path of the project. |
name | string | Yes | Name of the branch or wildcard. |
allow_force_push | boolean | No | If true , members who can push to this branch can also force push. Default is false . |
allowed_to_merge | array | No | Array of merge access levels, with each described by a hash of the form {user_id: integer} , {group_id: integer} , or {access_level: integer} . Premium and Ultimate only. |
allowed_to_push | array | No | Array of push access levels, with each described by a hash of the form {user_id: integer} , {group_id: integer} , {deploy_key_id: integer} , or {access_level: integer} . Premium and Ultimate only. |
allowed_to_unprotect | array | No | Array of unprotect access levels, with each described by a hash of the form {user_id: integer} , {group_id: integer} , or {access_level: integer} . Access level No access is not available for this field. Premium and Ultimate only. |
code_owner_approval_required | boolean | No | If true , prevents pushes to this branch if it matches an item in the CODEOWNERS file. Default is false . Premium and Ultimate only. |
merge_access_level | integer | No | Access levels allowed to merge. Default is 40 (Maintainer role). |
push_access_level | integer | No | Access levels allowed to push. Default is 40 (Maintainer role). |
unprotect_access_level | integer | No | Access levels allowed to unprotect. Default is 40 (Maintainer role). |
If successful, returns 201 Created
and the
following response attributes:
Attribute | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
allow_force_push | boolean | If true , force push is allowed on this branch. |
code_owner_approval_required | boolean | If true , code owner approval is required for pushes to this branch. |
id | integer | ID of the protected branch. |
merge_access_levels | array | Array of merge access level configurations. |
merge_access_levels[].access_level | integer | Access level for merging. |
merge_access_levels[].access_level_description | string | Human-readable description of the access level. |
merge_access_levels[].group_id | integer | ID of the group with merge access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
merge_access_levels[].id | integer | ID of the merge access level configuration. |
merge_access_levels[].user_id | integer | ID of the user with merge access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
name | string | Name of the protected branch. |
push_access_levels | array | Array of push access level configurations. |
push_access_levels[].access_level | integer | Access level for pushing. |
push_access_levels[].access_level_description | string | Human-readable description of the access level. |
push_access_levels[].deploy_key_id | integer | ID of the deploy key with push access. |
push_access_levels[].group_id | integer | ID of the group with push access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
push_access_levels[].id | integer | ID of the push access level configuration. |
push_access_levels[].user_id | integer | ID of the user with push access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
unprotect_access_levels | array | Array of unprotect access level configurations. |
unprotect_access_levels[].access_level | integer | Access level for unprotecting. |
unprotect_access_levels[].access_level_description | string | Human-readable description of the access level. |
unprotect_access_levels[].group_id | integer | ID of the group with unprotect access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
unprotect_access_levels[].id | integer | ID of the unprotect access level configuration. |
unprotect_access_levels[].user_id | integer | ID of the user with unprotect access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
In the following example request, the project ID is 5
and branch name is *-stable
.
curl --request POST \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/protected_branches?name=*-stable&push_access_level=30&merge_access_level=30&unprotect_access_level=40"
The example response includes:
- A protected branch with ID
101
. push_access_levels
with ID1001
.merge_access_levels
with ID2001
.unprotect_access_levels
with ID3001
.
{
"id": 101,
"name": "*-stable",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 1001,
"access_level": 30,
"access_level_description": "Developers + Maintainers"
}
],
"merge_access_levels": [
{
"id": 2001,
"access_level": 30,
"access_level_description": "Developers + Maintainers"
}
],
"unprotect_access_levels": [
{
"id": 3001,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
}
],
"allow_force_push":false,
"code_owner_approval_required": false
}
Users on GitLab Premium or Ultimate also see
the user_id
and group_id
parameters:
The following example response includes:
- A protected branch with ID
101
. push_access_levels
with ID1001
.merge_access_levels
with ID2001
.unprotect_access_levels
with ID3001
.
{
"id": 1,
"name": "*-stable",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 1001,
"access_level": 30,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null,
"access_level_description": "Developers + Maintainers"
}
],
"merge_access_levels": [
{
"id": 2001,
"access_level": 30,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null,
"access_level_description": "Developers + Maintainers"
}
],
"unprotect_access_levels": [
{
"id": 3001,
"access_level": 40,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
}
],
"allow_force_push":false,
"code_owner_approval_required": false
}
Example with user push access and group merge access
- Tier: Premium, Ultimate
- Offering: GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed, GitLab Dedicated
Elements in the allowed_to_push
/ allowed_to_merge
/ allowed_to_unprotect
array should take the
form {user_id: integer}
, {group_id: integer}
, or {access_level: integer}
.
Each user must have access to the project and each group must have this project shared.
These access levels allow more granular control over protected branch access.
For more information, see configure group permissions.
The following example request creates a protected branch with user push access and group merge access.
The user_id
is 2
and the group_id
is 3
.
curl --request POST \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/protected_branches?name=*-stable&allowed_to_push%5B%5D%5Buser_id%5D=2&allowed_to_merge%5B%5D%5Bgroup_id%5D=3"
The following example response includes:
- A protected branch with ID
101
. push_access_levels
with ID1001
.merge_access_levels
with ID2001
.unprotect_access_levels
with ID3001
.
{
"id": 101,
"name": "*-stable",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 1001,
"access_level": null,
"user_id": 2,
"group_id": null,
"access_level_description": "Administrator"
}
],
"merge_access_levels": [
{
"id": 2001,
"access_level": null,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": 3,
"access_level_description": "Example Merge Group"
}
],
"unprotect_access_levels": [
{
"id": 3001,
"access_level": 40,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
}
],
"allow_force_push":false,
"code_owner_approval_required": false
}
Example with deploy key access
- Tier: Premium, Ultimate
- Offering: GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed, GitLab Dedicated
Elements in the allowed_to_push
array should take the form {user_id: integer}
, {group_id: integer}
,
{deploy_key_id: integer}
, or {access_level: integer}
.
The deploy key must be enabled for your project and it must have write access to your project repository.
For other requirements, see Allow deploy keys to push to a protected branch.
Example request:
curl --request POST \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/protected_branches?name=*-stable&allowed_to_push[][deploy_key_id]=1"
The following example response includes:
- A protected branch with ID
101
. push_access_levels
with ID1001
.merge_access_levels
with ID2001
.unprotect_access_levels
with ID3001
.
{
"id": 101,
"name": "*-stable",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 1001,
"access_level": null,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null,
"deploy_key_id": 1,
"access_level_description": "Deploy"
}
],
"merge_access_levels": [
{
"id": 2001,
"access_level": 40,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
}
],
"unprotect_access_levels": [
{
"id": 3001,
"access_level": 40,
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers"
}
],
"allow_force_push":false,
"code_owner_approval_required": false
}
Example with allow to push and allow to merge access
- Tier: Premium, Ultimate
- Offering: GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed, GitLab Dedicated
Example request:
curl --request POST \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{
"name": "main",
"allowed_to_push": [
{"access_level": 30}
],
"allowed_to_merge": [
{"access_level": 30},
{"access_level": 40}
]
}' \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/protected_branches"
The following example response includes:
- A protected branch with ID
105
. push_access_levels
with ID1001
.merge_access_levels
with IDs2001
and2002
.unprotect_access_levels
with ID3001
.
{
"id": 105,
"name": "main",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 1001,
"access_level": 30,
"access_level_description": "Developers + Maintainers",
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null
}
],
"merge_access_levels": [
{
"id": 2001,
"access_level": 30,
"access_level_description": "Developers + Maintainers",
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null
},
{
"id": 2002,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers",
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null
}
],
"unprotect_access_levels": [
{
"id": 3001,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers",
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null
}
],
"allow_force_push":false,
"code_owner_approval_required": false
}
Examples with unprotect access levels
- Tier: Premium, Ultimate
- Offering: GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed, GitLab Dedicated
To create a protected branch where only a specific group can unprotect the branch:
curl --request POST \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{
"name": "production",
"allowed_to_unprotect": [
{"group_id": 789}
]
}' \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/protected_branches"
To allow multiple types of users to unprotect a branch:
curl --request POST \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{
"name": "main",
"allowed_to_unprotect": [
{"user_id": 123},
{"group_id": 456},
{"access_level": 40}
]
}' \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/protected_branches"
This configuration allows these users to unprotect the branch:
- The user with ID
123
. - Members of the group with ID
456
. - Users with at least the Maintainer role (access level 40).
Unprotect repository branches
Unprotect the given protected branch or wildcard protected branch.
DELETE /projects/:id/protected_branches/:name
Supported attributes:
Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
---|---|---|---|
id | integer or string | Yes | ID or URL-encoded path of the project. |
name | string | Yes | Name of the branch. |
If successful, returns 204 No Content
.
In the following example request, the project ID is 5
and branch name is *-stable
:
curl --request DELETE \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/protected_branches/*-stable"
Update a protected branch
Update a protected branch.
PATCH /projects/:id/protected_branches/:name
Supported attributes:
Attribute | Type | Required | Description |
---|---|---|---|
id | integer or string | Yes | ID or URL-encoded path of the project. |
name | string | Yes | Name of the branch or wildcard. |
allow_force_push | boolean | No | If true , members who can push to this branch can also force push. |
allowed_to_merge | array | No | Array of merge access levels, with each described by a hash of the form {user_id: integer} , {group_id: integer} , or {access_level: integer} . Premium and Ultimate only. |
allowed_to_push | array | No | Array of push access levels, with each described by a hash of the form {user_id: integer} , {group_id: integer} , {deploy_key_id: integer} , or {access_level: integer} . Premium and Ultimate only. |
allowed_to_unprotect | array | No | Array of unprotect access levels, with each described by a hash of the form {user_id: integer} , {group_id: integer} , {access_level: integer} , or {id: integer, _destroy: true} to destroy an existing access level. Access level No access is not available for this field. Premium and Ultimate only. |
code_owner_approval_required | boolean | No | If true , prevents pushes to this branch if it matches an item in the CODEOWNERS file. Premium and Ultimate only. |
If successful, returns 200 OK
and the
following response attributes:
Attribute | Type | Description |
---|---|---|
allow_force_push | boolean | If true , force push is allowed on this branch. |
code_owner_approval_required | boolean | If true , code owner approval is required for pushes to this branch. |
id | integer | ID of the protected branch. |
merge_access_levels | array | Array of merge access level configurations. |
merge_access_levels[].access_level | integer | Access level for merging. |
merge_access_levels[].access_level_description | string | Human-readable description of the access level. |
merge_access_levels[].group_id | integer | ID of the group with merge access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
merge_access_levels[].id | integer | ID of the merge access level configuration. |
merge_access_levels[].user_id | integer | ID of the user with merge access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
name | string | Name of the protected branch. |
push_access_levels | array | Array of push access level configurations. |
push_access_levels[].access_level | integer | Access level for pushing. |
push_access_levels[].access_level_description | string | Human-readable description of the access level. |
push_access_levels[].deploy_key_id | integer | ID of the deploy key with push access. |
push_access_levels[].group_id | integer | ID of the group with push access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
push_access_levels[].id | integer | ID of the push access level configuration. |
push_access_levels[].user_id | integer | ID of the user with push access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
unprotect_access_levels | array | Array of unprotect access level configurations. |
unprotect_access_levels[].access_level | integer | Access level for unprotecting. |
unprotect_access_levels[].access_level_description | string | Human-readable description of the access level. |
unprotect_access_levels[].group_id | integer | ID of the group with unprotect access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
unprotect_access_levels[].id | integer | ID of the unprotect access level configuration. |
unprotect_access_levels[].user_id | integer | ID of the user with unprotect access. Premium and Ultimate only. |
Example request:
curl --request PATCH \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/protected_branches/feature-branch?allow_force_push=true&code_owner_approval_required=true"
Elements in the allowed_to_push
, allowed_to_merge
, and allowed_to_unprotect
arrays should
be one of user_id
, group_id
, or access_level
, and take the form {user_id: integer}
, {group_id: integer}
or
{access_level: integer}
.
allowed_to_push
includes an extra element, deploy_key_id
, that takes the form {deploy_key_id: integer}
.
To update:
user_id
: Ensure the updated user has access to the project. You must also pass theid
of theaccess_level
in the respective hash.group_id
: Ensure the updated group has this project shared. You must also pass theid
of theaccess_level
in the respective hash.deploy_key_id
: Ensure the deploy key is enabled for your project and it must have write access to your project repository.
To delete, you must pass _destroy
set to true
. See the following examples.
Example: create a push_access_level
record
curl --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --request PATCH \
--data '{"allowed_to_push": [{"access_level": 40}]}' \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/22034114/protected_branches/main"
Example response:
{
"name": "main",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 12,
"access_level": 40,
"access_level_description": "Maintainers",
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null
}
]
}
Example: update a push_access_level
record
curl --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --request PATCH \
--data '{"allowed_to_push": [{"id": 12, "access_level": 0}]}' \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/22034114/protected_branches/main"
Example response:
{
"name": "main",
"push_access_levels": [
{
"id": 12,
"access_level": 0,
"access_level_description": "No One",
"user_id": null,
"group_id": null
}
]
}
Example: delete a push_access_level
record
curl --header 'Content-Type: application/json' --request PATCH \
--data '{"allowed_to_push": [{"id": 12, "_destroy": true}]}' \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/22034114/protected_branches/main"
Example response:
{
"name": "main",
"push_access_levels": []
}
Example: update an unprotect_access_level
record
Prerequisites:
- Users calling this API must be included in the
allowed_to_unprotect
configuration. - The user specified by
user_id
must be a project member. - Groups specified by
group_id
must have access to the project.
To modify who can unprotect an existing protected branch, include the id
of the existing access
level record. For example:
curl --request PATCH \
--header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
--header "Content-Type: application/json" \
--data '{
"allowed_to_unprotect": [
{"id": 17486, "user_id": 3791}
]
}' \
--url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/protected_branches/main"
To remove specific access levels, use _destroy: true
.