1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476
477
478
479
480
481
482
483
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523
524
525
526
527
528
529
530
531
532
533
534
535
536
537
538
539
540
541
542
543
544
545
546
547
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572
573
574
575
576
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611
612
613
614
615
616
617
618
619
620
621
622
623
624
625
626
627
628
629
630
631
632
633
634
635
636
637
638
639
640
641
642
643
644
645
646
647
648
649
650
651
652
653
654
655
656
657
658
659
660
661
662
663
664
665
666
667
668
669
670
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695
696
697
698
699
700
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
715
716
717
718
719
720
721
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746
747
748
749
750
751
752
753
754
755
756
757
758
759
760
761
762
763
764
765
766
767
768
769
770
771
772
773
774
775
776
777
778
779
780
781
782
783
784
785
786
787
788
789
790
791
792
793
794
795
796
797
798
799
800
801
802
803
804
805
806
807
808
809
810
811
812
813
814
815
816
817
818
819
820
821
822
823
824
825
826
827
828
829
830
831
832
833
834
835
836
837
838
839
840
841
842
843
844
845
846
847
848
849
850
851
852
853
854
855
856
857
858
859
860
861
862
863
864
865
866
867
868
869
870
871
|
---
type: reference, howto
stage: Manage
group: Authentication and Authorization
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
---
# Groups **(FREE)**
In GitLab, you use groups to manage one or more related projects at the same time.
You can use groups to manage permissions for your projects. If someone has access to
the group, they get access to all the projects in the group.
You can also view all of the issues and merge requests for the projects in the group,
and view analytics that show the group's activity.
You can use groups to communicate with all of the members of the group at once.
For larger organizations, you can also create [subgroups](subgroups/index.md).
## View groups
To view groups:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups**.
1. Select **Your Groups**. All groups you are a member of are displayed.
1. To view a list of public groups, select **Explore public groups**.
You can also view groups by namespace.
### Group visibility
Like projects, a group can be configured to limit the visibility of it to:
- Anonymous users.
- All signed-in users.
- Only explicit group members.
The restriction for [visibility levels](../admin_area/settings/visibility_and_access_controls.md#restrict-visibility-levels)
on the application setting level also applies to groups. If set to internal, the explore page is
empty for anonymous users. The group page has a visibility level icon.
Administrator users cannot create a subgroup or project with a higher visibility level than that of
the immediate parent group.
### Namespaces
In GitLab, a namespace is a unique name for a user, a group, or subgroup under
which a project can be created.
For example, consider a user named Alex:
| GitLab URL | Namespace |
| ---------- | --------- |
| Alex creates an account with the username `alex`: `https://gitlab.example.com/alex`. | The namespace in this case is `alex`. |
| Alex creates a group for their team with the group name `alex-team`. The group and its projects are available at: `https://gitlab.example.com/alex-team`. | The namespace in this cases is `alex-team`. |
| Alex creates a subgroup of `alex-team` with the subgroup name `marketing`. The subgroup and its projects are available at: `https://gitlab.example.com/alex-team/marketing`. | The namespace in this case is `alex-team/marketing`. |
## Create a group
To create a group:
1. On the top bar, either:
- Select **Menu > Groups**, and on the right, select **Create group**.
- To the left of the search box, select the plus sign and then **New group**.
1. Select **Create group**.
1. Enter a name for the group in **Group name**. For a list of words that cannot be used as group names, see
[reserved names](../reserved_names.md).
1. Enter a path for the group in **Group URL**, which is used for the [namespace](#namespaces).
1. Choose the [visibility level](../../public_access/public_access.md).
1. Personalize your GitLab experience by answering the following questions:
- What is your role?
- Who will be using this group?
- What will you use this group for?
1. Invite GitLab members or other users to join the group.
<i class="fa fa-youtube-play youtube" aria-hidden="true"></i>
For details about groups, watch [GitLab Namespaces (users, groups and subgroups)](https://youtu.be/r0sJgjR2f5A).
## Add users to a group
You can give a user access to all projects in a group.
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups** and find your group.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Group information > Members**.
1. Fill in the fields.
- The role applies to all projects in the group. [Learn more about permissions](../permissions.md).
- On the **Access expiration date**, the user can no longer access projects in the group.
1. Select **Invite**.
Members that are not automatically added are displayed on the **Invited** tab.
Users can be on this tab because they:
- Have not yet accepted the invitation.
- Are waiting for [approval from an administrator](../admin_area/moderate_users.md).
- [Exceed the group user cap](#user-cap-for-groups).
## Request access to a group
As a user, you can request to be a member of a group, if an administrator allows it.
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups** and find your group.
1. Under the group name, select **Request Access**.
As many as ten of the most-recently-active group owners receive an email with your request.
Any group owner can approve or decline the request.
If you change your mind before your request is approved, select
**Withdraw Access Request**.
## Prevent users from requesting access to a group
As a group owner, you can prevent non-members from requesting access to
your group.
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups**.
1. Select **Your Groups**.
1. Find the group and select it.
1. From the left menu, select **Settings > General**.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. Clear the **Allow users to request access** checkbox.
1. Select **Save changes**.
## Change the owner of a group
You can change the owner of a group. Each group must always have at least one
member with the Owner role.
- As an administrator:
1. Go to the group and from the left menu, select **Group information > Members**.
1. Give a different member the **Owner** role.
1. Refresh the page. You can now remove the **Owner** role from the original owner.
- As the current group's owner:
1. Go to the group and from the left menu, select **Group information > Members**.
1. Give a different member the **Owner** role.
1. Have the new owner sign in and remove the **Owner** role from you.
## Remove a member from the group
Prerequisites:
- You must have the Owner role.
- The member must have direct membership in the group. If
membership is inherited from a parent group, then the member can be removed
from the parent group only.
To remove a member from a group:
1. Go to the group.
1. From the left menu, select **Group information > Members**.
1. Next to the member you want to remove, select **Delete**.
1. Optional. On the **Remove member** confirmation box, select the
**Also unassign this user from linked issues and merge requests** checkbox.
1. Select **Remove member**.
## Filter and sort members in a group
> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/21727) in GitLab 12.6.
> - [Improved](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/228675) in GitLab 13.7.
> - [Feature flag removed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/289911) in GitLab 13.8.
To find members in a group, you can sort, filter, or search.
### Filter a group
Filter a group to find members. By default, all members in the group and subgroups are displayed.
1. Go to the group and select **Group information > Members**.
1. Above the list of members, in the **Filter members** box, enter filter criteria.
- To view members in the group only, select **Membership = Direct**.
- To view members of the group and its subgroups, select **Membership = Inherited**.
- To view members with two-factor authentication enabled or disabled, select **2FA = Enabled** or **Disabled**.
### Search a group
You can search for members by name, username, or email.
1. Go to the group and select **Group information > Members**.
1. Above the list of members, in the **Filter members** box, enter search criteria.
1. To the right of the **Filter members** box, select the magnifying glass (**{search}**).
### Sort members in a group
You can sort members by **Account**, **Access granted**, **Max role**, or **Last sign-in**.
1. Go to the group and select **Group information > Members**.
1. Above the list of members, on the top right, from the **Account** list, select
the criteria to filter by.
1. To switch the sort between ascending and descending, to the right of the **Account** list, select the
arrow (**{sort-lowest}** or **{sort-highest}**).
## Mention a group in an issue or merge request
When you mention a group in a comment, every member of the group gets a to-do item
added to their To-do list.
1. Open the MR or issue.
1. In a comment, type `@` followed by the user, group, or subgroup namespace.
For example, `@alex`, `@alex-team`, or `@alex-team/marketing`.
1. Select **Comment**.
A to-do item is created for all the group and subgroup members.
## Change the default branch protection of a group
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/7583) in GitLab 12.9.
By default, every group inherits the branch protection set at the global level.
To change this setting for a specific group:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups**.
1. Select **Your Groups**.
1. Find the group and select it.
1. From the left menu, select **Settings > General**.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. Select the desired option in the **Default branch protection** dropdown list.
1. Select **Save changes**.
To change this setting globally, see [Default branch protection](../admin_area/settings/visibility_and_access_controls.md#protect-default-branches).
NOTE:
In [GitLab Premium or higher](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/), GitLab administrators can choose to [disable group owners from updating the default branch protection](../admin_area/settings/visibility_and_access_controls.md#prevent-overrides-of-default-branch-protection).
## Add projects to a group
There are two different ways to add a new project to a group:
- Select a group, and then select **New project**. You can then continue [creating your project](../../user/project/working_with_projects.md#create-a-project).
- While you are creating a project, select a group from the dropdown list.
![Select group](img/select_group_dropdown_13_10.png)
### Specify who can add projects to a group
> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/2534) in GitLab 10.5.
> - [Moved](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/25975) from GitLab Premium to GitLab Free in 11.10.
By default, users with at least the Developer role can create projects under a group.
To change this setting for a specific group:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups**.
1. Select **Your Groups**.
1. Find the group and select it.
1. From the left menu, select **Settings > General**.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. Select the desired option in the **Allowed to create projects** dropdown list.
1. Select **Save changes**.
To change this setting globally, see [Default project creation protection](../admin_area/settings/visibility_and_access_controls.md#define-which-roles-can-create-projects).
## Group activity analytics **(PREMIUM)**
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/207164) in GitLab 12.10 as a [beta feature](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/#beta).
For a group, you can view how many merge requests, issues, and members were created in the last 90 days.
These Group Activity Analytics can be enabled with the `group_activity_analytics` [feature flag](../../development/feature_flags/index.md#enabling-a-feature-flag-locally-in-development).
![Recent Group Activity](img/group_activity_analytics_v13_10.png)
Changes to [group wikis](../project/wiki/group.md) do not appear in group activity analytics.
### View group activity
You can view the most recent actions taken in a group, either in your browser or in an RSS feed:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups**.
1. Select **Your Groups**.
1. Find the group and select it.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Group information > Activity**.
To view the activity feed in Atom format, select the
**RSS** (**{rss}**) icon.
## Share a group with another group
> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/18328) in GitLab 12.7.
> - [Changed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/247208) in GitLab 13.11 from a form to a modal window [with a flag](../feature_flags.md). Disabled by default.
> - Modal window [enabled on GitLab.com and self-managed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/247208) in GitLab 14.8.
FLAG:
On self-managed GitLab, by default the modal window feature is available.
To hide the feature, ask an administrator to [disable the feature flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md)
named `invite_members_group_modal`.
On GitLab.com, this feature is available.
Similar to how you [share a project with a group](../project/members/share_project_with_groups.md),
you can share a group with another group. Members get direct access
to the shared group. This includes members who inherited group membership from a parent group.
To share a given group, for example, `Frontend` with another group, for example,
`Engineering`:
1. Go to the `Frontend` group.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Group information > Members**.
1. Select **Invite a group**.
1. In the **Select a group to invite** list, select `Engineering`.
1. Select a [role](../permissions.md).
1. Select **Invite**.
All the members of the `Engineering` group are added to the `Frontend` group.
## Manage group memberships via LDAP **(PREMIUM SELF)**
Group syncing allows LDAP groups to be mapped to GitLab groups. This provides more control over per-group user management. To configure group syncing, edit the `group_base` **DN** (`'OU=Global Groups,OU=GitLab INT,DC=GitLab,DC=org'`). This **OU** contains all groups that are associated with GitLab groups.
Group links can be created by using either a CN or a filter. To create these group links, go to the group's **Settings > LDAP Synchronization** page. After configuring the link, it may take more than an hour for the users to sync with the GitLab group.
For more information on the administration of LDAP and group sync, refer to the [main LDAP documentation](../../administration/auth/ldap/ldap_synchronization.md#group-sync).
NOTE:
When you add LDAP synchronization, if an LDAP user is a group member and they are not part of the LDAP group, they are removed from the group.
### Create group links via CN **(PREMIUM SELF)**
To create group links via CN:
<!-- vale gitlab.Spelling = NO -->
1. Select the **LDAP Server** for the link.
1. As the **Sync method**, select `LDAP Group cn`.
1. In the **LDAP Group cn** field, begin typing the CN of the group. There is a dropdown list with matching CNs in the configured `group_base`. Select your CN from this list.
1. In the **LDAP Access** section, select the [permission level](../permissions.md) for users synced in this group.
1. Select **Add Synchronization**.
<!-- vale gitlab.Spelling = YES -->
### Create group links via filter **(PREMIUM SELF)**
To create group links via filter:
1. Select the **LDAP Server** for the link.
1. As the **Sync method**, select `LDAP user filter`.
1. Input your filter in the **LDAP User filter** box. Follow the [documentation on user filters](../../administration/auth/ldap/index.md#set-up-ldap-user-filter).
1. In the **LDAP Access** section, select the [permission level](../permissions.md) for users synced in this group.
1. Select **Add Synchronization**.
### Override user permissions **(PREMIUM SELF)**
LDAP user permissions can be manually overridden by an administrator. To override a user's permissions:
1. Go to your group's **Group information > Members** page.
1. In the row for the user you are editing, select the pencil (**{pencil}**) icon.
1. Select **Edit permissions** in the modal.
Now you can edit the user's permissions from the **Members** page.
## Transfer a group
You can transfer groups in the following ways:
- Transfer a subgroup to a new parent group.
- Convert a top-level group into a subgroup by transferring it to the desired group.
- Convert a subgroup into a top-level group by transferring it out of its current group.
When transferring groups, note:
- Changing a group's parent can have unintended side effects. See [what happens when a repository path changes](../project/repository/index.md#what-happens-when-a-repository-path-changes).
- You can only transfer groups to groups you manage.
- You must update your local repositories to point to the new location.
- If the immediate parent group's visibility is lower than the group's current visibility, visibility levels for subgroups and projects change to match the new parent group's visibility.
- Only explicit group membership is transferred, not inherited membership. If the group's owners have only inherited membership, this leaves the group without an owner. In this case, the user transferring the group becomes the group's owner.
- Transfers fail if [packages](../packages/index.md) exist in any of the projects in the group, or in any of its subgroups.
## Change a group's path
Changing a group's path (group URL) can have unintended side effects. Read
[how redirects behave](../project/repository/index.md#what-happens-when-a-repository-path-changes)
before you proceed.
If you are changing the path so it can be claimed by another group or user,
you must rename the group too. Both names and paths must
be unique.
To retain ownership of the original namespace and protect the URL redirects,
create a new group and transfer projects to it instead.
To change your group path (group URL):
1. Go to your group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Path, transfer, remove** section.
1. Under **Change group URL**, enter a new name.
1. Select **Change group URL**.
WARNING:
It is not possible to rename a namespace if it contains a
project with [Container Registry](../packages/container_registry/index.md) tags,
because the project cannot be moved.
## Use a custom name for the initial branch
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/43290) in GitLab 13.6.
When you create a new project in GitLab, a default branch is created with the
first push. The group owner can
[customize the initial branch](../project/repository/branches/default.md#group-level-custom-initial-branch-name)
for the group's projects to meet your group's needs.
## Remove a group
To remove a group and its contents:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups** and find your group.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > General**.
1. Expand the **Advanced** section.
1. In the **Remove group** section, select **Remove group**.
1. Type the group name.
1. Select **Confirm**.
A group can also be removed from the groups dashboard:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups**.
1. Select **Your Groups**.
1. Select (**{ellipsis_v}**) for the group you want to delete.
1. Select **Delete**.
1. In the Remove group section, select **Remove group**.
1. Type the group name.
1. Select **Confirm**.
This action removes the group. It also adds a background job to delete all projects in the group.
Specifically:
- In [GitLab 12.8 and later](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/33257), on [GitLab Premium](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/premium/) or higher tiers, this action adds a background job to mark a group for deletion. By default, the job schedules the deletion 7 days in the future. You can modify this waiting period through the [instance settings](../admin_area/settings/visibility_and_access_controls.md#default-deletion-delay).
- In [GitLab 13.6 and later](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/39504), if the user who sets up the deletion is removed from the group before the
deletion happens, the job is cancelled, and the group is no longer scheduled for deletion.
## Remove a group immediately **(PREMIUM)**
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/336985) in GitLab 14.2.
If you don't want to wait, you can remove a group immediately.
Prerequisites:
- You must have at least the Owner role for a group.
- You have [marked the group for deletion](#remove-a-group).
To immediately remove a group marked for deletion:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups** and find your group.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > General**.
1. Expand **Advanced**.
1. In the "Permanently remove group" section, select **Remove group**.
1. Confirm the action when asked to.
Your group, its subgroups, projects, and all related resources, including issues and merge requests,
are deleted.
## Restore a group **(PREMIUM)**
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/33257) in GitLab 12.8.
To restore a group that is marked for deletion:
1. Go to your group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Path, transfer, remove** section.
1. In the Restore group section, select **Restore group**.
## Prevent group sharing outside the group hierarchy
This setting is only available on top-level groups. It affects all subgroups.
When checked, any group in the top-level group hierarchy can be shared only with other groups in the hierarchy.
For example, with these groups:
- **Animals > Dogs**
- **Animals > Cats**
- **Plants > Trees**
If you select this setting in the **Animals** group:
- **Dogs** can be shared with **Cats**.
- **Dogs** cannot be shared with **Trees**.
To prevent sharing outside of the group's hierarchy:
1. Go to the group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. Select **Prevent members from sending invitations to groups outside of `<group_name>` and its subgroups**.
1. Select **Save changes**.
## Prevent a project from being shared with groups
Prevent projects in a group from [sharing
a project with another group](../project/members/share_project_with_groups.md) to enable tighter control over project access.
To prevent a project from being shared with other groups:
1. Go to the group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. Select **Prevent sharing a project in `<group_name>` with other groups**.
1. Select **Save changes**.
This setting applies to all subgroups unless overridden by a group owner. Groups already
added to a project lose access when the setting is enabled.
## User cap for groups
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/330027) in GitLab 14.7.
FLAG:
On self-managed GitLab, this feature is not available. On GitLab.com, this feature is available for some groups.
This feature is not ready for production use.
When the number of billable members reaches the user cap, new users can't be added to the group
without being approved by the group owner.
Groups with the user cap feature enabled have [group sharing](#share-a-group-with-another-group)
disabled for the group and its subgroups.
### Specify a user cap for a group
Prerequisite:
- You must be assigned the Owner role) for the group.
To specify a user cap:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups** and find your group.
You can set a cap on the top-level group only.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > General**.
1. Expand **Permissions and group features**.
1. In the **User cap** box, enter the desired number of users.
1. Select **Save changes**.
If you already have more users in the group than the user cap value, users
are not removed. However, you can't add more without approval.
Increasing the user cap does not approve pending members.
### Remove the user cap for a group
You can remove the user cap, so there is no limit on the number of members you can add to a group.
Prerequisite:
- You must be assigned the Owner role) for the group.
To remove the user cap:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups** and find your group.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > General**.
1. Expand **Permissions and group features**.
1. In the **User cap** box, delete the value.
1. Select **Save changes**.
Decreasing the user cap does not approve pending members.
### Approve pending members for a group
When the number of billable users reaches the user cap, any new member is put in a pending state
and must be approved.
Pending members do not count as billable. Members count as billable only after they have been approved and are no longer in a pending state.
Prerequisite:
- You must be assigned the Owner role) for the group.
To approve members that are pending because they've exceeded the user cap:
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups** and find your group.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > Usage Quotas**.
1. On the **Seats** tab, under the alert, select **View pending approvals**.
1. For each member you want to approve, select **Approve**.
## Prevent members from being added to projects in a group **(PREMIUM)**
As a group owner, you can prevent any new project membership for all
projects in a group, allowing tighter control over project membership.
For example, if you want to lock the group for an [Audit Event](../../administration/audit_events.md),
you can guarantee that project membership cannot be modified during the audit.
You can still invite groups or to add members to groups, implicitly giving members access to projects in the **locked** group.
The setting does not cascade. Projects in subgroups observe the subgroup configuration, ignoring the parent group.
To prevent members from being added to projects in a group:
1. Go to the group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. Under **Member lock**, select **Prevent adding new members to project membership within this group**.
1. Select **Save changes**.
All users who previously had permissions can no longer add members to a group.
API requests to add a new user to a project are not possible.
## Export members as CSV **(PREMIUM)**
> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/287940) in GitLab 14.2.
> - [Feature flag removed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/336520) in GitLab 14.5.
You can export a list of members in a group or subgroup as a CSV.
1. Go to your group or subgroup and select either **Group information > Members** or **Subgroup information > Members**.
1. Select **Export as CSV**.
1. After the CSV file has been generated, it is emailed as an attachment to the user that requested it.
## Restrict group access by IP address **(PREMIUM)**
> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/1985) in GitLab 12.0.
> - [Moved](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/215410) from GitLab Ultimate to GitLab Premium in 13.1.
To ensure only people from your organization can access particular
resources, you can restrict access to groups by IP address. This group-level setting
applies to:
- The GitLab UI, including subgroups, projects, and issues.
- [In GitLab 12.3 and later](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/12874), the API.
You should consider these security implications before configuring IP address restrictions:
- **SSH requests**: While you can restrict HTTP traffic on GitLab.com with IP address restrictions,
they cause SSH requests, including Git operations over SSH, to fail. For more information,
read [issue 271673](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/271673).
- **Administrators and group owners**: Users with these permission levels can always
access the group settings, regardless of IP restriction, but they cannot access projects
belonging to the group when accessing from a disallowed IP address.
- **GitLab API and runner activities**: Only the [group](../../api/groups.md) (including all
[group resources](../../api/api_resources.md#group-resources)) APIs and [project](../../api/api_resources.md#project-resources)
(including all [project resources](../../api/api_resources.md#project-resources)) APIs are protected by IP address restrictions.
When you register a runner, it is not bound by the IP restrictions. When the runner
requests a new job or an update to a job's state, it is also not bound by
the IP restrictions. But when the running CI/CD job sends Git requests from a
restricted IP address, the IP restriction prevents code from being cloned.
- **User dashboard activity**: Users may still see some events from the IP restricted groups and projects
on their dashboard. Activity may include push, merge, issue, or comment events.
To restrict group access by IP address:
1. Go to the group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. In the **Allow access to the following IP addresses** field, enter IPv4 or IPv6 address ranges in CIDR notation.
1. Select **Save changes**.
![Domain restriction by IP address](img/restrict-by-ip.gif)
## Restrict group access by domain **(PREMIUM)**
> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/7297) in GitLab 12.2.
> - Support for specifying multiple email domains [added](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/33143) in GitLab 13.1.
> - Support for restricting access to projects in the group [added](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/14004) in GitLab 14.1.2.
You can prevent users with email addresses in specific domains from being added to a group and its projects.
To restrict group access by domain:
1. Go to the group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. In the **Restrict membership by email** field, enter the domain names.
1. Select **Save changes**.
![Domain restriction by email](img/restrict-by-email.gif)
Any time you attempt to add a new user, the user's [primary email](../profile/index.md#change-your-primary-email) is compared against this list.
Only users with a [primary email](../profile/index.md#change-your-primary-email) that matches any of the configured email domain restrictions
can be added to the group.
The most popular public email domains cannot be restricted, such as:
- `gmail.com`, `yahoo.com`, `aol.com`, `icloud.com`
- `hotmail.com`, `hotmail.co.uk`, `hotmail.fr`
- `msn.com`, `live.com`, `outlook.com`
## Group file templates **(PREMIUM)**
Use group file templates to share a set of templates for common file
types with every project in a group. It is analogous to the
[instance template repository](../admin_area/settings/instance_template_repository.md).
The selected project should follow the same naming conventions as
are documented on that page.
You can only choose projects in the group as the template source.
This includes projects shared with the group, but it **excludes** projects in
subgroups or parent groups of the group being configured.
You can configure this feature for both subgroups and immediate parent groups. A project
in a subgroup has access to the templates for that subgroup, as well as
any immediate parent groups.
To learn how to create templates for issues and merge requests, see
[Description templates](../project/description_templates.md).
Define project templates at a group level by setting a group as the template source.
[Learn more about group-level project templates](custom_project_templates.md).
### Enable group file template **(PREMIUM)**
To enable group file templates:
1. Go to the group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Templates** section.
1. Choose a project to act as the template repository.
1. Select **Save changes**.
## Disable email notifications
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/23585) in GitLab 12.2.
You can disable all email notifications related to the group, which includes its subgroups and projects.
To disable email notifications:
1. Go to the group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. Select **Disable email notifications**.
1. Select **Save changes**.
## Disable group mentions
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/21301) in GitLab 12.6.
You can prevent users from being added to a conversation and getting notified when
anyone [mentions a group](../discussions/index.md#mentions)
in which those users are members.
Groups with disabled mentions are visualized accordingly in the autocompletion dropdown list.
This is particularly helpful for groups with a large number of users.
To disable group mentions:
1. Go to the group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. Select **Disable group mentions**.
1. Select **Save changes**.
## Enable delayed project deletion **(PREMIUM)**
> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/220382) in GitLab 13.2.
> - [Inheritance and enforcement added](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/321724) in GitLab 13.11.
> - [Instance setting to enable by default added](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/255449) in GitLab 14.2.
[Delayed project deletion](../project/settings/index.md#delayed-project-deletion) can be enabled for groups. When enabled, projects in
the group are deleted after a period of delay. During this period, projects are in a read-only state and can be restored. The default
period is seven days but [is configurable at the instance level](../admin_area/settings/visibility_and_access_controls.md#default-deletion-delay).
On self-managed GitLab, projects are deleted immediately by default.
In GitLab 14.2 and later, an administrator can
[change the default setting](../admin_area/settings/visibility_and_access_controls.md#default-delayed-project-deletion)
for projects in newly-created groups.
On GitLab.com, see the [GitLab.com settings page](../gitlab_com/index.md#delayed-project-deletion) for
the default setting.
To enable delayed deletion of projects in a group:
1. Go to the group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. Check **Enable delayed project deletion**.
1. Optional. To prevent subgroups from changing this setting, select **Enforce for all subgroups**.
1. Select **Save changes**.
NOTE:
In GitLab 13.11 and above the group setting for delayed project deletion is inherited by subgroups. As discussed in [Cascading settings](../../development/cascading_settings.md) inheritance can be overridden, unless enforced by an ancestor.
## Prevent project forking outside group **(PREMIUM)**
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/216987) in GitLab 13.3.
By default, projects in a group can be forked.
Optionally, on [GitLab Premium](https://about.gitlab.com/pricing/) or higher tiers,
you can prevent the projects in a group from being forked outside of the current top-level group.
Previously, this setting was available only for groups enforcing a
[Group Managed Account](saml_sso/group_managed_accounts.md) in SAML.
This setting will be removed from the SAML setting page, and migrated to the
group settings page. In the interim period, both of these settings are taken into consideration.
If even one is set to `true`, then the group does not allow outside forks.
To prevent projects from being forked outside the group:
1. Go to the top-level group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Permissions and group features** section.
1. Check **Prevent project forking outside current group**.
1. Select **Save changes**.
Existing forks are not removed.
## Group push rules **(PREMIUM)**
> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/34370) in GitLab 12.8.
> - [Feature flag removed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/224129) in GitLab 13.4.
Group push rules allow group maintainers to set
[push rules](../project/repository/push_rules.md) for newly created projects in the specific group.
To configure push rules for a group:
1. Go to the groups's **Push Rules** page.
1. Select the settings you want.
1. Select **Save Push Rules**.
The group's new subgroups have push rules set for them based on either:
- The closest parent group with push rules defined.
- Push rules set at the instance level, if no parent groups have push rules defined.
## Group approval rules **(PREMIUM)**
> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/285458) in GitLab 13.9. [Deployed behind the `group_merge_request_approval_settings_feature_flag` flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md), disabled by default.
> - [Enabled by default](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/285410) in GitLab 14.5.
FLAG:
On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is available. To hide the feature per group, ask an administrator to [disable the feature flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `group_merge_request_approval_settings_feature_flag`. On GitLab.com, this feature is available.
Group approval rules manage [project merge request approval rules](../project/merge_requests/approvals/index.md)
at the top-level group level. These rules [cascade to all projects](../project/merge_requests/approvals/settings.md#settings-cascading)
that belong to the group.
To view the merge request approval rules for a group:
1. Go to the top-level group's **Settings > General** page.
1. Expand the **Merge request approvals** section.
1. Select the settings you want.
1. Select **Save changes**.
## Related topics
- [Group wikis](../project/wiki/index.md)
- [Maximum artifacts size](../admin_area/settings/continuous_integration.md#maximum-artifacts-size).
- [Repositories analytics](repositories_analytics/index.md): View overall activity of all projects with code coverage.
- [Contribution analytics](contribution_analytics/index.md): View the contributions (pushes, merge requests,
and issues) of group members.
- [Issue analytics](issues_analytics/index.md): View a bar chart of your group's number of issues per month.
- Use GitLab as a [dependency proxy](../packages/dependency_proxy/index.md) for upstream Docker images.
- [Epics](epics/index.md): Track groups of issues that share a theme.
- [Security Dashboard](../application_security/security_dashboard/index.md): View the vulnerabilities of all
the projects in a group and its subgroups.
- [Insights](insights/index.md): Configure insights like triage hygiene, issues created/closed per a given period, and
average time for merge requests to be merged.
- [Webhooks](../project/integrations/webhooks.md).
- [Kubernetes cluster integration](clusters/index.md).
- [Audit Events](../../administration/audit_events.md#group-events).
- [CI/CD minutes quota](../../ci/pipelines/cicd_minutes.md): Keep track of the CI/CD minute quota for the group.
- [Integrations](../admin_area/settings/project_integration_management.md).
- [Transfer a project into a group](../project/settings/index.md#transferring-an-existing-project-into-another-namespace).
- [Share a project with a group](../project/members/share_project_with_groups.md): Give all group members access to the project at once.
- [Lock the sharing with group feature](#prevent-a-project-from-being-shared-with-groups).
- [Enforce two-factor authentication (2FA)](../../security/two_factor_authentication.md#enforce-2fa-for-all-users-in-a-group): Enforce 2FA
for all group members.
- Namespaces [API](../../api/namespaces.md) and [Rake tasks](../../raketasks/features.md).
## Troubleshooting
### Verify if access is blocked by IP restriction
If a user sees a 404 when they would normally expect access, and the problem is limited to a specific group, search the `auth.log` rails log for one or more of the following:
- `json.message`: `'Attempting to access IP restricted group'`
- `json.allowed`: `false`
In viewing the log entries, compare the `remote.ip` with the list of
[allowed IPs](#restrict-group-access-by-ip-address) for the group.
### Validation errors on namespaces and groups
[GitLab 14.4 and later](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/70365) performs
the following checks when creating or updating namespaces or groups:
- Namespaces must not have parents.
- Group parents must be groups and not namespaces.
In the unlikely event that you see these errors in your GitLab installation,
[contact Support](https://about.gitlab.com/support/) so that we can improve this validation.
|