GitLab Orbit

Start a free trial

If your top-level group is not yet licensed for Orbit, you can start a free trial. The trial gives the group free GitLab credits for Orbit. Groups that do not meet the trial criteria see a Contact sales option instead.

Prerequisites:

• You must have the Owner role for the top-level group.
• The group must meet the trial criteria.

To start a free trial:

1. In the left sidebar, select Search or go to and find your group.
2. Select Settings > Orbit.
3. Select Start free trial.
4. On the confirmation dialog, select Start free trial.

After you start the trial, Orbit turns on for the group and indexes the group, its subgroups, and its projects. Indexing can take up to a few hours.

The trial applies to that one group only. Only Orbit can use the trial credits. When the trial ends or the credits run out, Orbit pauses. To keep using Orbit, add GitLab credits from the group usage quotas page.

Orbit in GitLab Duo default

Orbit in GitLab Duo is on by default. In their preferences, users choose which Orbit-powered features to use.

On GitLab.com, Orbit in GitLab Duo is on for members of a top-level group with Orbit on. On GitLab Self-Managed and GitLab Dedicated, an administrator sets the instance-wide switch and the instance must have a license with the Orbit feature.

Orbit availability, licensing, and namespace enrollment requirements still apply.

Turn off Orbit in GitLab Duo for the instance

Prerequisites:

• You must have administrator access.
• Your instance must have a license with the Orbit feature.

To turn off Orbit in GitLab Duo for all users on the instance:

1. In the left sidebar, at the bottom, select Admin.
2. Select Orbit.
3. Turn off the Turn on Orbit in GitLab Duo toggle.

The setting is saved when you change the toggle.

Index top-level group namespaces automatically

Prerequisites:

• You must have administrator access.
• Your instance must have a license with the Orbit feature.

To index existing and new top-level group namespaces automatically:

1. In the left sidebar, at the bottom, select Admin.
2. Select Orbit.
3. Turn on the Turn on Orbit for all top-level groups automatically toggle.
4. Select Turn on for all groups.

When you turn on the setting, GitLab enqueues a background job. The job enrolls top-level group namespaces that are not already enrolled or excluded by an administrator. Enrollment happens shortly afterward rather than immediately. An hourly background job also enrolls newly created top-level groups and removes enrollments for excluded groups. The hourly job acts as a safety net after direct database changes. These changes can take up to one hour. Personal namespaces are not enrolled.

When you turn off Turn on Orbit for all top-level groups automatically, existing non-excluded enrollments remain. The background job does not enroll new top-level groups until you turn on the setting again.

Exclude top-level groups from automatic indexing

Administrators can manage exclusions regardless of whether automatic indexing is enabled:

1. In the left sidebar, at the bottom, select Admin.
2. Select Orbit.
3. In Top-level groups, select the groups to exclude.
4. Select Actions > Exclude from automatic indexing.
5. If Orbit is on for a selected group, select Exclude to confirm.

Excluded groups are not automatically enrolled. If an excluded group is already indexed, the hourly background job removes its enrollment and index. To allow automatic enrollment again, select the group, then select Actions > Remove exclusion. To turn on Orbit for an excluded group, remove the exclusion first.

View Orbit status

To view the Orbit configuration and indexing status, run:

sudo gitlab-rake gitlab:orbit:info