What is GitLab?
GitLab is a complete DevOps platform that provides source code management, CI/CD, security testing, and project planning in a single application. Teams organize work in groups, collaborate through projects, and ship code using merge requests, pipelines, and issues.What Serval can do once connected
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Automation workflows | Manage projects, branches, merge requests, issues, CI/CD pipelines, deployments, and more |
Configure GitLab
Prerequisites
- A GitLab account with sufficient permissions to create a Personal Access Token
- For self-hosted instances, the GitLab API must be reachable from the network
Create a Personal Access Token
- In GitLab, click your avatar in the top-left corner and select Edit profile
- In the left sidebar, select Access Tokens
- Click Add new token
- Configure your token:
- Token name: Enter a descriptive name (e.g., “Serval Integration”)
- Expiration date: Set an appropriate expiration date per your security policy
- Scopes: Select the scopes required for your use case (see Scope reference below)
- Click Create personal access token
- Copy the token value — it is only shown once
Scope reference
Select scopes based on the actions you want Serval to perform:| Scope | Access |
|---|---|
api | Full API access — read/write across all endpoints |
read_api | Read-only API access |
read_user | Read user profile information |
read_repository | Read repository contents (files, commits, branches) |
write_repository | Write to repositories (push code, manage branches) |
read_registry | Read container registry images |
write_registry | Write to the container registry |
admin_mode | Perform admin actions (self-hosted admin users only) |
For most workflows, the
api scope is recommended as it provides full access to all GitLab API endpoints.Serval Configuration
- In Serval, go to Apps → Available → GitLab → Connect
-
Enter the following information:
Field Description Instance Domain Your GitLab instance domain (e.g., gitlab.comorgitlab.yourcompany.com). Leave blank to default togitlab.com.Personal Access Token The token you created above - Click Save
Managing access later
- Rotate token — Generate a new Personal Access Token in GitLab, then update the token in Serval’s integration settings.
- Disconnect — Remove the integration from the Serval Applications page. The Personal Access Token should also be revoked in GitLab.
Need help? Contact support@serval.com for assistance with your GitLab integration.