Project import/export

Notes:

• Introduced in GitLab 8.9.
• Importing will not be possible if the import instance version is lower than that of the exporter.
• For existing installations, the project import option has to be enabled in application settings (/admin/application_settings) under 'Import sources'. You will have to be an administrator to enable and use the import functionality.
• You can find some useful raketasks if you are an administrator in the import_export raketask.
• The exports are stored in a temporary shared directory and are deleted every 24 hours by a specific worker.

Existing projects running on any GitLab instance or GitLab.com can be exported with all their related data and be moved into a new GitLab instance.

Exported contents

The following items will be exported:

• Project and wiki repositories
• Project uploads
• Project configuration including web hooks and services
• Issues with comments, merge requests with diffs and comments, labels, milestones, snippets, and other project entities

The following items will NOT be exported:

• Build traces and artifacts
• LFS objects

Exporting a project and its data

1. Go to the project settings page by clicking on Edit Project:

   

2. Scroll down to find the Export project button:

   

3. Once the export is generated, you should receive an e-mail with a link to download the file:

   

4. Alternatively, you can come back to the project settings and download the file from there, or generate a new export. Once the file available, the page should show the Download export button:

   

Importing the project

1. The new GitLab project import feature is at the far right of the import options when creating a New Project. Make sure you are in the right namespace and you have entered a project name. Click on GitLab export:

   

2. You can see where the project will be imported to. You can now select file exported previously:

   

3. Click on Import project to begin importing. Your newly imported project page will appear soon.