# Gitlab CLI for AI Agents

```json
{
  "title": "Gitlab CLI for AI Agents",
  "toolkit": "Gitlab",
  "toolkit_slug": "gitlab",
  "framework": "CLI",
  "framework_slug": "cli",
  "url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/cli",
  "markdown_url": "https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/cli.md",
  "updated_at": "2026-05-06T08:13:28.348Z"
}
```

## Introduction

CLIs are eating MCPs. The industry is converging on the very same idea. MCPs for all their merit can be token hungry, slow, and unreliable for complex tool chaining. However, coding agents have become incredibly good at working with CLIs, and in fact they are far more comfortable working with CLI tools than MCP.
With Composio's Universal CLI, your coding agents can talk to over 1000+ SaaS applications. With Gitlab, agents can create new gitlab group for qa team, open bug issue in frontend project, create branch from latest main commit, and more — all without worrying about authentication.
This guide walks you through Composio Universal CLI and explains how you can connect it with coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, etc, for end-to-end Gitlab automation.

## Also integrate Gitlab with

- [ChatGPT](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/chatgpt)
- [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/claude-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/claude-code)
- [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/claude-cowork)
- [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/codex)
- [Cursor](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/cursor)
- [VS Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/vscode)
- [OpenCode](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/opencode)
- [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/openclaw)
- [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/hermes-agent)
- [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/google-adk)
- [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/langchain)
- [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/ai-sdk)
- [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/mastra-ai)
- [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/llama-index)
- [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/crew-ai)

## TL;DR

The idea behind building the universal CLI is to give agents a single command interface to interact with all your external applications. Here's what you'll get with it:
- Agent-friendly: Coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode can use CLI tools natively — no MCP setup required.
- Authentication handled: Connect once via OAuth or API Key, and all CLI commands work with your credentials automatically.
- Tool discovery: Search, inspect, and execute 20,000+ tools across 1000+ apps from one interface.
- Trigger support: Use triggers to listen for events across your apps, powered by real-time webhooks or polling under the hood.
- Type generation: Generate typed schemas for autocomplete and type safety in your projects.

## Connect Gitlab to CLI

### Prerequisites
Install the Composio CLI, authenticate, and initialize your project:

```bash
# Install the Composio CLI
curl -fsSL https://composio.dev/install | bash

# Authenticate with Composio
composio login
```

## What is the Gitlab MCP server, and what's possible with it?

The Gitlab MCP server is an implementation of the Model Context Protocol that connects your AI agent and assistants like Claude, Cursor, etc directly to your Gitlab account. It provides structured and secure access to your repositories, projects, and issues, so your agent can perform actions like creating projects, managing issues, handling branches, and automating DevOps workflows on your behalf.
- Project and group automation: Instantly create new Gitlab projects or organize your workspaces by setting up project groups—all without manual clicks.
- Issue creation and tracking: Have your agent report bugs, request features, or open new issues in specific projects to keep your team on top of tasks.
- Branch management: Let your agent create repository branches from any commit or base branch, making it easy to streamline your development process.
- Project lifecycle management: Archive completed projects or delete unneeded ones, keeping your workspace clean and up to date with minimal effort.
- Commit and job insights: Retrieve commit references, determine commit sequence in project history, or erase job artifacts and logs for deeper CI/CD control.

## Supported Tools

| Tool slug | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `GITLAB_ARCHIVE_PROJECT` | Archive Project | Tool to archive a project. use when you need to mark a project read-only after finishing active development. call after confirming no further changes are required. |
| `GITLAB_CREATE_GROUP` | Create GitLab Group | Tool to create a new group in gitlab. use when you need to establish a new group for projects or collaboration. |
| `GITLAB_CREATE_PROJECT` | Create Project | Tool to create a new project in gitlab. implements post /projects endpoint. |
| `GITLAB_CREATE_PROJECT_ISSUE` | Create Project Issue | Tool to create a new issue in a gitlab project. use when you need to report a bug, request a feature, or track a task within a specific project. |
| `GITLAB_CREATE_REPOSITORY_BRANCH` | Create Repository Branch | Tool to create a new branch in a project. use when you need to create a new branch from an existing branch or a specific commit in a gitlab project. |
| `GITLAB_DELETE_PROJECT` | Delete Project | Tool to delete a gitlab project by its id. use when you need to remove a project, either by marking it for later deletion or deleting it immediately. |
| `GITLAB_DOWNLOAD_PROJECT_AVATAR` | Download Project Avatar | Tool to download a project’s avatar image. use when you need the raw avatar bytes after confirming the project exists. |
| `GITLAB_ERASE_JOB` | Erase Job | Tool to erase the content of a specified job within a project. use when you need to remove job artifacts and logs. |
| `GITLAB_GET_COMMIT_REFS` | Get Commit References | Tool to get all references (branches or tags) a commit is pushed to. use when you need to find out which branches or tags a specific commit belongs to in a gitlab project. |
| `GITLAB_GET_COMMIT_SEQUENCE` | Get Commit Sequence | Tool to get the sequence number of a commit in a project by following parent links from the given commit. use when you need to determine the order of a commit in the project's history. |
| `GITLAB_GET_GROUP` | Get Group Details | Tool to retrieve information about a specific group by its id. use when you need to get details of a gitlab group. |
| `GITLAB_GET_GROUP_MEMBER` | Get Group Member | Tool to retrieve details for a specific group member. use when you need to fetch membership information for a user in a group after you know both group id and user id. |
| `GITLAB_GET_GROUPS` | Get Groups | Get groups |
| `GITLAB_GET_JOB_DETAILS` | Get Job Details | Tool to retrieve details of a single job by its id within a specified project. use this when you need to fetch specific information about a particular ci/cd job. |
| `GITLAB_GET_MERGE_REQUEST_NOTES` | Get Merge Request Notes | Tool to fetch comments on a merge request. use when you need to retrieve all notes for a specific merge request. |
| `GITLAB_GET_PROJECT` | Get Project | Tool to get a single project by id or url-encoded path. |
| `GITLAB_GET_PROJECT_LANGUAGES` | Get Project Languages | Tool to list programming languages used in a project with percentages. use when you need the project language breakdown. |
| `GITLAB_GET_PROJECT_MEMBER` | Get Project Member | Tool to retrieve details for a specific project member. use after confirming project and user ids to fetch membership information for a project member. |
| `GITLAB_GET_PROJECT_MEMBER_ALL` | Get Project Member All | Tool to retrieve details for a specific project member (including inherited and invited members). use when you need the effective membership info (including invitations and inheritance). |
| `GITLAB_GET_PROJECT_MERGE_REQUEST_COMMITS` | Get Merge Request Commits | Tool to get commits of a merge request. use when you need to retrieve all commits associated with a specific merge request. |
| `GITLAB_GET_PROJECT_MERGE_REQUESTS` | Get Project Merge Requests | Tool to retrieve a list of merge requests for a specific project. use when you need to get all merge requests associated with a project, with options to filter by state, labels, milestones, and other attributes. |
| `GITLAB_GET_PROJECTS` | Get Projects | Tool to list all projects accessible to the authenticated user. supports filtering. |
| `GITLAB_GET_PROJECTS_ID_MERGE_REQUESTS_IID_DIFFS` | List Merge Request Diffs | Tool to list all diff versions of a merge request. use when you need to inspect changes across different diff versions after creating or updating a merge request. |
| `GITLAB_GET_REPOSITORY_BRANCH` | Get Repository Branch | Tool to retrieve information about a specific branch in a project. use when you need to get details for a single branch. |
| `GITLAB_GET_REPOSITORY_BRANCHES` | Get Repository Branches | Retrieves a list of repository branches for a project. use this when you need to get all branches or search for specific branches within a gitlab project. |
| `GITLAB_GET_SINGLE_COMMIT` | Get Single Commit | Tool to get a specific commit identified by the commit hash or name of a branch or tag. use this when you need to retrieve detailed information about a single commit in a gitlab project repository. |
| `GITLAB_GET_SINGLE_PIPELINE` | Get Single Pipeline | Tool to retrieve details of a single pipeline by its id within a specified project. use when you need to get information about a specific ci/cd pipeline. |
| `GITLAB_GET_USER` | Get User | Tool to retrieve information about a specific user by their id. use when you need to fetch details for a single gitlab user. |
| `GITLAB_GET_USER_PREFERENCES` | Get User Preferences | Tool to get the current user's preferences. use when you need to retrieve the user's diff display and ci identity jwt settings after authentication. |
| `GITLAB_GET_USERS` | Get Users | Tool to retrieve a list of users from gitlab. use this when you need to find user information, search for specific users, or filter users based on various criteria like activity status or creation date. |
| `GITLAB_GET_USERS_ID_STATUS` | Get User Status | Tool to get a user's status by id. use when you need to retrieve a gitlab user's current status message, emoji, and availability after identifying their user id. |
| `GITLAB_GET_USER_STATUS` | Get User Status | Tool to get the current user's status. use when displaying or verifying the authenticated user's gitlab status after login. |
| `GITLAB_GET_USER_SUPPORT_PIN` | Get User Support PIN | Tool to get details of the current user's support pin. use when you need to retrieve the active support pin and its expiration for the authenticated user. |
| `GITLAB_IMPORT_PROJECT_MEMBERS` | Import project members | Tool to import members from one project to another. use when migrating members between projects. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_ALL_GROUP_MEMBERS` | List All Group Members | Tool to list all members of a group including direct, inherited, and invited members. use when you need a comprehensive membership list beyond direct members. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_ALL_PROJECT_MEMBERS` | List All Project Members | Tool to list all members of a project (direct, inherited, invited). use when you need the effective membership list including inherited and invited members. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_BILLABLE_GROUP_MEMBERS` | List Billable Group Members | Tool to list billable members of a top-level group (including its subgroups and projects). use when generating billing reports; requires owner role on the group. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_GROUP_MEMBERS` | List Group Members | Tool to list direct members of a group. use when you need to retrieve or filter a group's direct membership. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_PENDING_GROUP_MEMBERS` | List Pending Group Members | Tool to list pending members of a group and its subgroups and projects. use when you need to review users awaiting approval or invited without an account. call after confirming the top-level group id. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_PIPELINE_JOBS` | List Pipeline Jobs | Tool to retrieve a list of jobs for a specified pipeline within a project. use this when you need to inspect the status or details of jobs associated with a particular ci/cd pipeline. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_PROJECT_GROUPS` | List Project Groups | Tool to list ancestor groups of a project. use when you need to retrieve all groups a project belongs to or is shared with. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_PROJECT_INVITED_GROUPS` | List Project Invited Groups | Tool to list groups invited to a project. use when auditing which groups have access to a project. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_PROJECT_PIPELINES` | List Project Pipelines | Tool to retrieve a list of pipelines for a specified project. use when you need to get information about ci/cd pipelines, such as their status, source, or creation/update times. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_PROJECT_SHAREABLE_GROUPS` | List Project Shareable Groups | Tool to list groups that can be shared with a project. use before sharing a project to fetch eligible groups. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_PROJECT_TAGS` | List Project Repository Tags | Tool to retrieve a list of repository tags for a specified project. use when you need to get all tags associated with a project in gitlab. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_PROJECT_TRANSFER_LOCATIONS` | List Project Transfer Locations | Tool to list namespaces available for project transfer. use when you need to determine which groups a project can be transferred into. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_PROJECT_USERS` | List project users | Tool to list users of a project. use after you have a project id and want to retrieve its users. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_REPOSITORY_COMMITS` | List Repository Commits | Tool to get a list of repository commits in a project. use when you need to retrieve commit history for a specific project, branch, or time range. |
| `GITLAB_LIST_USER_PROJECTS` | List User Projects | Tool to list projects owned by a specific user. use after obtaining target user identity to fetch owned projects. |
| `GITLAB_POST_USER_SUPPORT_PIN` | Create Support PIN | Tool to create a support pin for your authenticated user. use when gitlab support requests a pin to verify your identity. |
| `GITLAB_PUT_USER_PREFERENCES` | Update User Preferences | Tool to update the current user's preferences. use when adjusting default diff viewing and ci identity settings. |
| `GITLAB_SET_USER_STATUS` | Set User Status | Tool to set the current user's status. use when you need to update availability or convey current mood on gitlab. |
| `GITLAB_SHARE_PROJECT_WITH_GROUP` | Share Project With Group | Tool to share a project with a group. use when you need to grant a group specific access level to a project. |
| `GITLAB_START_PROJECT_HOUSEKEEPING` | Start Housekeeping Task | Tool to start the housekeeping task for a project. use when you need to trigger manual maintenance or pruning on a repository. |

## Supported Triggers

None listed.

## Complete Code

None listed.

## Conclusion

- Try asking your coding agent to perform various Gitlab operations
- Explore cross-app workflows by connecting more toolkits
- Set up triggers for real-time automation
- Use composio generate for typed schemas in your projects

## How to build Gitlab MCP Agent with another framework

- [ChatGPT](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/chatgpt)
- [OpenAI Agents SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/open-ai-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Agent SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/claude-agents-sdk)
- [Claude Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/claude-code)
- [Claude Cowork](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/claude-cowork)
- [Codex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/codex)
- [Cursor](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/cursor)
- [VS Code](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/vscode)
- [OpenCode](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/opencode)
- [OpenClaw](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/openclaw)
- [Hermes](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/hermes-agent)
- [Google ADK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/google-adk)
- [LangChain](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/langchain)
- [Vercel AI SDK](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/ai-sdk)
- [Mastra AI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/mastra-ai)
- [LlamaIndex](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/llama-index)
- [CrewAI](https://composio.dev/toolkits/gitlab/framework/crew-ai)

## Related Toolkits

- [Supabase](https://composio.dev/toolkits/supabase) - Supabase is an open-source backend platform offering scalable Postgres databases, authentication, storage, and real-time APIs. It lets developers build modern apps without managing infrastructure.
- [Codeinterpreter](https://composio.dev/toolkits/codeinterpreter) - Codeinterpreter is a Python-based coding environment with built-in data analysis and visualization. It lets you instantly run scripts, plot results, and prototype solutions inside supported platforms.
- [GitHub](https://composio.dev/toolkits/github) - GitHub is a code hosting platform for version control and collaborative software development. It streamlines project management, code review, and team workflows in one place.
- [Ably](https://composio.dev/toolkits/ably) - Ably is a real-time messaging platform for live chat and data sync in modern apps. It offers global scale and rock-solid reliability for seamless, instant experiences.
- [Abuselpdb](https://composio.dev/toolkits/abuselpdb) - Abuselpdb is a central database for reporting and checking IPs linked to malicious online activity. Use it to quickly identify and report suspicious or abusive IP addresses.
- [Alchemy](https://composio.dev/toolkits/alchemy) - Alchemy is a blockchain development platform offering APIs and tools for Ethereum apps. It simplifies building and scaling Web3 projects with robust infrastructure.
- [Algolia](https://composio.dev/toolkits/algolia) - Algolia is a hosted search API that powers lightning-fast, relevant search experiences for web and mobile apps. It helps developers deliver instant, typo-tolerant, and scalable search without complex infrastructure.
- [Anchor browser](https://composio.dev/toolkits/anchor_browser) - Anchor browser is a developer platform for AI-powered web automation. It transforms complex browser actions into easy API endpoints for streamlined web interaction.
- [Apiflash](https://composio.dev/toolkits/apiflash) - Apiflash is a website screenshot API for programmatically capturing web pages. It delivers high-quality screenshots on demand for automation, monitoring, or reporting.
- [Apiverve](https://composio.dev/toolkits/apiverve) - Apiverve delivers a suite of powerful APIs that simplify integration for developers. It's designed for reliability and scalability so you can build faster, smarter applications without the integration headache.
- [Appcircle](https://composio.dev/toolkits/appcircle) - Appcircle is an enterprise-grade mobile CI/CD platform for building, testing, and publishing mobile apps. It streamlines mobile DevOps so teams ship faster and with more confidence.
- [Appdrag](https://composio.dev/toolkits/appdrag) - Appdrag is a cloud platform for building websites, APIs, and databases with drag-and-drop tools and code editing. It accelerates development and iteration by combining hosting, database management, and low-code features in one place.
- [Appveyor](https://composio.dev/toolkits/appveyor) - AppVeyor is a cloud-based continuous integration service for building, testing, and deploying applications. It helps developers automate and streamline their software delivery pipelines.
- [Backendless](https://composio.dev/toolkits/backendless) - Backendless is a backend-as-a-service platform for mobile and web apps, offering database, file storage, user authentication, and APIs. It helps developers ship scalable applications faster without managing server infrastructure.
- [Baserow](https://composio.dev/toolkits/baserow) - Baserow is an open-source no-code database platform for building collaborative data apps. It makes it easy for teams to organize data and automate workflows without writing code.
- [Bench](https://composio.dev/toolkits/bench) - Bench is a benchmarking tool for automated performance measurement and analysis. It helps you quickly evaluate, compare, and track your systems or workflows.
- [Better stack](https://composio.dev/toolkits/better_stack) - Better Stack is a monitoring, logging, and incident management solution for apps and services. It helps teams ensure application reliability and performance with real-time insights.
- [Bitbucket](https://composio.dev/toolkits/bitbucket) - Bitbucket is a Git-based code hosting and collaboration platform for teams. It enables secure repository management and streamlined code reviews.
- [Blazemeter](https://composio.dev/toolkits/blazemeter) - Blazemeter is a continuous testing platform for web and mobile app performance. It empowers teams to automate and analyze large-scale tests with ease.
- [Blocknative](https://composio.dev/toolkits/blocknative) - Blocknative delivers real-time mempool monitoring and transaction management for public blockchains. Instantly track pending transactions and optimize blockchain interactions with live data.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the Composio Universal CLI?

The Composio Universal CLI is a single command-line interface that lets coding agents and developers interact with 1000+ SaaS applications. It handles authentication, tool discovery, action execution, and trigger setup — all from the terminal, without needing to configure MCP servers.

### Which coding agents work with the Composio CLI?

Any coding agent that can run shell commands works with the Composio CLI — including Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw, and others. Once the CLI is installed, agents automatically discover and use the composio commands to interact with Gitlab and other connected apps.

### How is the CLI different from using an MCP server for Gitlab?

MCP servers require configuration and can be token-heavy for complex workflows. The CLI gives agents a direct, lightweight interface — no server setup needed. Agents simply call composio commands like any other shell tool. It's faster to set up, more reliable for multi-step tool chaining, and works natively with how coding agents already operate.

### How safe is my Gitlab data when using the Composio CLI?

All sensitive data such as tokens, keys, and configuration is fully encrypted at rest and in transit. Composio is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and follows strict security practices so your Gitlab data and credentials are handled as safely as possible. You can also bring your own OAuth credentials for full control.

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