Step-by-step Guide to Integrate GitLab with ClickUp

GitLab and ClickUp are powerful tools for software teams. Integrating them helps you get more value from both platforms. This allows you to manage issues, collaborate on code, and track progress - without constantly switching between apps.

In this post, I'll walk through how to set up GitLab with ClickUp. I'll cover:

• What you can accomplish by integrating GitLab and ClickUp
• How to connect the two tools
• Tips for syncing GitLab activity with ClickUp tasks
• Examples of managing branches and merge requests from ClickUp

Whether you use GitLab.com or a self-hosted GitLab instance, you can connect it with your ClickUp account. The integration supports tracking work from code back to tasks and vice versa.

If you use Github instead, we have a dedicated article here.

Benefits of Integrating GitLab with ClickUp

Connecting your GitLab repositories with ClickUp Spaces makes development work more transparent. This integration helps your team:

• See all GitLab activity related to a task directly in ClickUp. The task view shows associated commits, branches, and merge requests.
• Get notifications in ClickUp when new GitLab items are added to tasks.
• Automatically or manually associate GitLab commits, branches, etc. with ClickUp tasks.
• Update task statuses based on GitLab actions by including the task ID in commit messages or merge request titles.
• Quickly create new branches and merge requests from ClickUp. The integration adds handy shortcuts for developers.
• Jump between code and tasks with one click. It's easy to trace how work flows between ClickUp and GitLab.

In short, you get improved traceability between tasks and code. This helps everyone stay aligned and means less context switching.

Step 1: Connect GitLab with ClickUp

The first step is authorizing the integration within your ClickUp account. This allows ClickUp to access your GitLab repositories.

Here's how to set it up:

1. In ClickUp, open the App Center (ClickUp 2.0) or Quick Actions Menu > App Center (ClickUp 3.0).
2. Under Development, select the GitLab app.
3. Click Connect and sign into your GitLab account.
4. Authorize ClickUp to connect with your GitLab repositories.

Using GitLab.com vs. Self-Hosted

If you use GitLab.com, the setup is straightforward. Just sign in and authorize the integration.

For self-hosted GitLab instances, you'll need to provide:

• Your GitLab URL, like https://gitlab.company.com
• A personal access token from your GitLab account.

This allows ClickUp to access your self-hosted instance via the API.

Step 2: Add Repositories to ClickUp

Once connected, you can select which GitLab repositories to bring into your ClickUp account.

Adding a repo to ClickUp does not expose your code. It simply allows associating commits, branches, etc. with tasks.

To add a repository:

1. In the GitLab integration, go to the Repositories section.
2. Next to the repo you want to add, click + Add to ClickUp.
3. Select which ClickUp Spaces can access the repository.

Now your team can link repository actions like commits and merge requests to tasks within those Spaces.

Limit Shared Repositories

When first connecting GitLab, all of your personal repositories are listed. Be selective in which repositories you share.

For example, you may not want your private experimental projects added to the company Workspace. Limit shared repositories to avoid clutter and prevent distraction.

Step 3: Sync GitLab Actions with ClickUp Tasks

The main benefit of integrating GitLab and ClickUp is associating code activity with tasks.

There are a few ways to do this:

Automatically Sync New Actions

Whenever someone creates a new commit, branch, merge request, etc., ClickUp can automatically link it with any mentioned tasks.

To enable this, include the task ID in the GitLab action using common formats like:

• #{task_id}
• CU-{task_id}
• {custom_task_id}

For example, a commit message with #123 would associate that commit with task ID 123.

Manually Associate Actions

You can also manually associate GitLab activity with ClickUp tasks:

1. Open the task and click the GitLab icon.
2. Select the Commits or Branches tab.
3. Use the dropdowns to pick a repository, branch, etc.
4. Click Attach to associate with the task.

This lets you selectively choose which actions to link without adding noise.

Update Task Statuses from GitLab

When including the task ID in a GitLab action, you can also specify a status.

For example, a commit message with #123[closed] would automatically close task 123 in ClickUp.

This lets you trigger task status changes right from GitLab. Handy!

Step 4: Manage GitLab Actions in ClickUp

The integration works two ways. You can also take action on branches and merge requests directly within ClickUp.

Here are some ways to manage GitLab from tasks:

Create Branches

To create a new branch from a task:

1. Open the task and click the GitLab icon.
2. Click the handy Copy link next to the branch name you want.
3. This adds the branch name to your clipboard.
4. Paste it into GitLab to create the new branch.

You can also customize the auto-generated branch name format in the integration settings.

Open Merge Requests

To create a merge request from a task:

1. Click the GitLab icon in the task.
2. Click New Merge Request.
3. Fill out the title, select the source and target branches, and add a description.
4. Click Create Merge Request.

Once created, you'll see the merge request details right in the ClickUp task.

Update Tasks from Merge Requests

When you create or merge a request from ClickUp, it adds the task ID to the merge request in GitLab automatically.

Then you can quickly jump between the merge request and task. It's displayed right in the ClickUp task activity feed.

This makes it easy to trace a feature from task to code and back again.

Key Takeaways

Integrating GitLab and ClickUp improves transparency between tasks and code. This helps teams build software more efficiently by:

• Associating code activity with ClickUp tasks automatically or manually
• Updating task statuses based on GitLab actions like commits
• Creating branches and managing merge requests directly in ClickUp
• Quickly jumping between tasks and related branches/commits/MRs

The end result is less context switching and improved traceability. Before diving into code, developers can clearly see associated tasks and plans.

And teams can easily track progress from tasks to working software. That helps you ship better products!

Once the integration is complete, don't forget to explain to your team how to use ClickUp properly, thanks to this article.