GitLab for Slack app

The GitLab for Slack app is a native Slack app that provides slash commands, notifications, and the GitLab Duo integration in your Slack workspace. GitLab links your Slack user with your GitLab user so that any command you run in Slack is run by your linked GitLab user.

Install the GitLab for Slack app

Prerequisites:

• You must have the appropriate permissions to add apps to your Slack workspace.
• On GitLab Self-Managed, an administrator must enable the integration.

In GitLab 15.0 and later, the GitLab for Slack app uses granular permissions. Although functionality has not changed, you should reinstall the app.

From the project or group settings

To install the GitLab for Slack app from the project or group settings:

1. In the top bar, select Search or go to and find your project or group.
2. In the left sidebar, select Settings > Integrations.
3. Select GitLab for Slack app.
4. Select Install GitLab for Slack app. You’re redirected to the Slack confirmation page.
5. On the Slack confirmation page:
   1. Optional. If you’re signed in to more than one Slack workspace, in the upper right, from the dropdown list, select the workspace you want to install the app in. On GitLab Self-Managed and GitLab Dedicated, an administrator must first enable support for multiple workspaces for the dropdown list to appear.
   2. Select Allow.

From the Slack App Directory

On GitLab.com, you can also install the GitLab for Slack app from the Slack App Directory.

To install the GitLab for Slack app from the Slack App Directory:

1. Go to the GitLab for Slack page.
2. Select a GitLab project to link with your Slack workspace.

Reinstall the GitLab for Slack app

When GitLab releases new features for the GitLab for Slack app, you might have to reinstall the app to use these features.

To reinstall the GitLab for Slack app:

1. In the top bar, select Search or go to and find your project.
2. In the left sidebar, select Settings > Integrations.
3. Select GitLab for Slack app.
4. Select Install GitLab for Slack app. You’re redirected to the Slack confirmation page.
5. On the Slack confirmation page:
   1. Optional. If you’re signed in to more than one Slack workspace, in the upper right, from the dropdown list, select the workspace you want to reinstall the app in. On GitLab Self-Managed and GitLab Dedicated, an administrator must first enable support for multiple workspaces for the dropdown list to appear.
   2. Select Allow.

The GitLab for Slack app is updated for all projects that use the integration.

Alternatively, you can configure the integration again.

GitLab Duo

You can interact with GitLab Duo directly from Slack by mentioning the GitLab bot in any channel or thread where the bot is present. GitLab Duo reads the full conversation thread as context, runs a flow on a CI/CD runner, and posts the result back to the Slack thread.

For example, you can ask GitLab Duo to do the following:

• Turn a conversation into a GitLab issue.
• Search for existing issues or merge requests.
• Summarize a discussion thread.
• Answer questions about your projects.

Prerequisites

• Turn on the GitLab Duo Agent Platform.
• Link a Slack account to your GitLab account. If your accounts are not linked, GitLab sends you a message with a link to authorize the connection on first mention.
• Set a default GitLab Duo namespace.
• Turn on the Developer Flow for the top-level group.
• Add the GitLab bot to the Slack channel where you want to use it.
• For existing installations, reinstall the GitLab for Slack app to grant the additional permissions required for GitLab Duo.

Use GitLab Duo in Slack

To use GitLab Duo in Slack:

1. In a Slack channel or thread, type @GitLab followed by your request (for example, @GitLab create an issue to track this bug).
2. GitLab Duo acknowledges your request and starts working on the task.
3. When the task is complete, GitLab Duo posts a threaded reply with the result.

If an error occurs, GitLab Duo sends you a message with details about the issue. This message is visible only to you.

Workspace project

When you first use GitLab Duo from Slack, a workspace project called duo-workspace is automatically created in your default GitLab Duo namespace. This project serves as the execution environment for any flows triggered from Slack.

You can customize the agent behavior in the workspace project. For more information, see Developer Flow.

GitLab for Slack app permissions

GitLab Duo requires the following additional GitLab for Slack app permissions:

New installations receive these permissions automatically. Existing installations receive these permissions only after you reinstall the GitLab for Slack app.

Slash commands

You can use slash commands to run common GitLab operations.

For the GitLab for Slack app:

• You must authorize your Slack user when you run your first slash command.
• You can replace <project> with a project full path or create a project alias for slash commands.

If you use Mattermost slash commands instead:

• Replace /gitlab with the trigger name you’ve configured for these integrations.
• Remove <project>.

The following slash commands are available for GitLab:

deploy command

To deploy to an environment, GitLab tries to find a manual deployment action in the pipeline.

If only one deployment action is defined for an environment, that action is triggered. If more than one deployment action is defined, GitLab tries to find an action name that matches the environment name.

The command returns an error if GitLab cannot find a matching deployment action.

Create a project alias

In the GitLab for Slack app, slash commands use a project full path by default. You can use a project alias instead.

To create a project alias for slash commands in the GitLab for Slack app:

1. In the top bar, select Search or go to and find your project.
2. In the left sidebar, select Settings > Integrations.
3. Select GitLab for Slack app.
4. Next to the project path or alias, select Edit.
5. Enter the new alias and select Save changes.

If an alias collision occurs in a Slack workspace (for example, multiple projects or groups attempt to use the same alias), GitLab automatically assigns a fallback alias in the following format:

• For projects: p-<project_id> (for example, p-12345)
• For groups: g-<group_id> (for example, g-67890)

You can use these fallback aliases in slash commands when the preferred alias is unavailable.

Slack notifications

You can receive notifications to Slack channels for certain GitLab events.

Configure notifications

To configure Slack notifications:

1. In the top bar, select Search or go to and find your project.

2. In the left sidebar, select Settings > Integrations.

3. Select GitLab for Slack app.

4. In the Trigger section:

   • Select the checkbox for each GitLab event you want to receive notifications for in Slack.

   • For each checkbox you select, enter the names of the Slack channels you want to receive notifications. You can enter up to 10 channel names separated by commas (for example, #channel-one, #channel-two).

     If the Slack channel is private, you must add the GitLab for Slack app to the channel.

5. Optional. In the Notification settings section:

   • Select the Notify only broken pipelines checkbox to receive notifications for failed pipelines only.

   • Select the Notify only when status changes checkbox to receive notifications only when the pipeline status for the ref changes.

   • From the Branches for which notifications are to be sent dropdown list, select the branches you want to receive notifications for.

     Notifications are also sent for pipelines triggered by tags created from these branches.

     Notifications for vulnerabilities are only triggered by the default branch, regardless of the selected branches. For more details, see issue 469373.

   • For Labels to be notified, enter any or all of the labels a GitLab issue, merge request, or comment must have to receive notifications for. Leave blank to receive notifications for all events.

6. Optional. Select Test settings.

7. Select Save changes.

Receive notifications to a private channel

To receive notifications to a private Slack channel, you must add the GitLab for Slack app to the channel:

1. Mention the app in the channel by entering @GitLab.
2. Select Add to Channel.

Notification events

The following GitLab events can trigger notifications in Slack:

Trigger notifications for group mentions

To trigger a notification event for a group mention, use @<group_name> in:

• Issue and merge request descriptions
• Comments on issues, merge requests, and commits