Access tokens for the GitLab project

This guide helps you choose the right access token type for your needs within the GitLab project, prioritizing security best practices.

Security principles

1. Minimize manual rotation - Prefer tokens that rotate automatically or through API
2. Smallest scope possible - Use the most restrictive scope that meets your needs
3. Expiration visibility - Ensure proper notifications before token expiration
4. Easy rotation - Choose tokens that can be rotated without significant downtime

Decision tree

flowchart TD
    A[Need GitLab API Access?] --> B{Running in CI/CD pipeline?}
    
    B -->|Yes| C{Need only limited API access?<br/>Git repos, packages, releases,<br/>specific endpoints}
    C -->|Yes| D[CI Job Token<br/>Auto-rotates<br/>No manual management<br/>Limited API endpoints only]
    C -->|No| E{Access to multiple projects?}
    
    E -->|No| F[Project Access Token<br/>Single project scope<br/>Full API access<br/>Email notifications]
    E -->|Yes| G[Service Account PAT<br/>Add to specific projects only<br/>Precise permission control<br/>API manageable]
    
    B -->|No| H{Single Project Only?}
    H -->|Yes| I{Need administrative actions<br/>like creating tokens?}
    I -->|No| J[Project Access Token<br/>Scoped to one project<br/>Email notifications<br/>API manageable]
    I -->|Yes| K[Service Account PAT<br/>Admin permissions possible<br/>Add to specific project<br/>Better than Group token]
    
    H -->|No| L{Multiple projects needed?}
    L -->|Yes| M{Large group with many projects<br/>like gitlab-org?}
    M -->|Yes| N[Service Account PAT<br/>Add to specific projects only<br/>Avoid overpermissive group tokens<br/>Granular control]
    M -->|No| O{Small, well-defined group?}
    O -->|Yes| P[Consider Group Access Token<br/>Only for small groups<br/>High privilege risk]
    O -->|No| Q[Service Account PAT<br/>Selective project membership<br/>Better security boundary]
    
    L -->|No| R{Can create Service Account?}
    R -->|Yes| S[Service Account PAT<br/>API manageable<br/>Proper user separation<br/>Precise permissions]
    R -->|No| T[Bot User PAT<br/>Manual rotation required<br/>Use shared email for notifications<br/>Last resort option]
    
    style D fill:#d4f6d4
    style F fill:#d4f6d4
    style G fill:#d4f6d4  
    style J fill:#d4f6d4
    style K fill:#d4f6d4
    style N fill:#d4f6d4
    style Q fill:#d4f6d4
    style S fill:#d4f6d4
    style P fill:#fff3cd
    style T fill:#ffe6e6

Token type comparison

When to use each token type

CI Job Token

See the CI/CD job tokens documentation for complete details.

Use when:

• Running inside GitLab CI/CD pipelines
• Need limited API access only: Git repos, container/package registries, releases, deployments, environments, specific job/pipeline endpoints (full list)
• Access is limited to pipeline duration
• Target resources are in same project or properly allowlisted

Limitations:

• Cannot access most GitLab API endpoints (issues, merge requests, users, groups, etc.)
• Cannot perform administrative actions like creating tokens or managing users
• Cannot access external APIs or services outside GitLab

Avoid when:

• Need full GitLab API access (issues, MRs, users, groups, admin actions)
• Need persistent access outside pipeline context
• Require tokens for external systems integration

Project Access Token

See the project access tokens documentation for complete details.

Use when:

• Automation is scoped to a single project
• Need persistent API access outside CI/CD
• Want automatic expiry notifications to maintainers
• Can manage through GitLab API for rotation

Avoid when:

• Need access to multiple projects
• Need to create other access tokens (bootstrapping problem)
• Working with public projects where scope limitation is needed

Group Access Token

See the group access tokens documentation for complete details.

Use when:

• Automation spans multiple projects in small, well-defined groups
• Group has limited number of projects with similar security requirements
• Need access to group-level features
• Can manage through GitLab API for rotation

High Risk - Use Sparingly:

• Grants access to ALL projects in group - massive blast radius if leaked
• Especially dangerous for large groups like gitlab-org with hundreds of projects
• Consider Service Account PAT instead for better scope control

Avoid when:

• Working with large groups (>10-20 projects)
• Projects have different security requirements
• Can achieve same goal with more targeted tokens

Service Account PAT

See the service accounts documentation for complete details.

Use when:

• Need to create/manage other access tokens (Terraform use case)
• Multiple specific projects access needed - add service account to each project individually
• Cross-group or instance-wide access required
• Want proper user separation for audit trails
• Better alternative to Group Access Token for precise permission control

Key Advantage:

• Granular permissions: Add service account only to specific projects/groups with minimal required role
• Much safer than Group Access Tokens for large organizations

Avoid when:

• Simpler scoped tokens meet the requirements
• Don’t have Premium+ license
• Cannot manage service accounts at org level

Bot User PAT (Legacy)

See the personal access tokens documentation for complete details.

Use only when:

• Service accounts are not available
• Existing automation already depends on it
• Temporary solution during migration

Required setup:

• Use shared email address for expiry notifications
• Document rotation procedures clearly
• Plan migration to better token types

Security best practices

• Use the smallest scope possible - Never use api scope unless absolutely necessary
• Set expiration dates - Keep token lifetimes under 365 days
• Store tokens securely - Use GitLab CI/CD variables (masked), vault systems, or credential managers
• Monitor expiry dates - Set up notifications and rotation procedures

Related documentation

• Personal access tokens
• Project access tokens
• Group access tokens
• Service accounts
• CI/CD job tokens
• GitLab token overview