Web hooks

Project web hooks allow you to trigger an URL if new code is pushed or a new issue is created.

You can configure web hooks to listen for specific events like pushes, issues or merge requests. GitLab will send a POST request with data to the web hook URL.

Web hooks can be used to update an external issue tracker, trigger CI builds, update a backup mirror, or even deploy to your production server.

If you send a web hook to an SSL endpoint the certificate will not be verified since many people use self-signed certificates.

Push events

Triggered when you push to the repository except when pushing tags.

Request header:

X-Gitlab-Event: Push Hook

Request body:

{
  "object_kind": "push",
  "before": "95790bf891e76fee5e1747ab589903a6a1f80f22",
  "after": "da1560886d4f094c3e6c9ef40349f7d38b5d27d7",
  "ref": "refs/heads/master",
  "user_id": 4,
  "user_name": "John Smith",
  "user_email": "john@example.com",
  "project_id": 15,
  "repository": {
    "name": "Diaspora",
    "url": "git@example.com:mike/diasporadiaspora.git",
    "description": "",
    "homepage": "http://example.com/mike/diaspora", 
    "git_http_url":"http://example.com/mike/diaspora.git",
    "git_ssh_url":"git@example.com:mike/diaspora.git",
    "visibility_level":0
  },
  "commits": [
    {
      "id": "b6568db1bc1dcd7f8b4d5a946b0b91f9dacd7327",
      "message": "Update Catalan translation to e38cb41.",
      "timestamp": "2011-12-12T14:27:31+02:00",
      "url": "http://example.com/mike/diaspora/commit/b6568db1bc1dcd7f8b4d5a946b0b91f9dacd7327",
      "author": {
        "name": "Jordi Mallach",
        "email": "jordi@softcatala.org"
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "da1560886d4f094c3e6c9ef40349f7d38b5d27d7",
      "message": "fixed readme",
      "timestamp": "2012-01-03T23:36:29+02:00",
      "url": "http://example.com/mike/diaspora/commit/da1560886d4f094c3e6c9ef40349f7d38b5d27d7",
      "author": {
        "name": "GitLab dev user",
        "email": "gitlabdev@dv6700.(none)"
      }
    }
  ],
  "total_commits_count": 4
}

Tag events

Triggered when you create (or delete) tags to the repository.

Request header:

X-Gitlab-Event: Tag Push Hook

Request body:

{
  "object_kind": "tag_push",
  "ref": "refs/tags/v1.0.0",
  "before": "0000000000000000000000000000000000000000",
  "after": "82b3d5ae55f7080f1e6022629cdb57bfae7cccc7",
  "user_id": 1,
  "user_name": "John Smith",
  "project_id": 1,
  "repository": {
    "name": "jsmith",
    "url": "ssh://git@example.com/jsmith/example.git",
    "description": "",
    "homepage": "http://example.com/jsmith/example",
    "git_http_url":"http://example.com/jsmith/example.git",
    "git_ssh_url":"git@example.com:jsmith/example.git",
    "visibility_level":0
  },
  "commits": [],
  "total_commits_count": 0
}

Issues events

Triggered when a new issue is created or an existing issue was updated/closed/reopened.

Request header:

X-Gitlab-Event: Issue Hook

Request body:

{
  "object_kind": "issue",
  "user": {
    "name": "Administrator",
    "username": "root",
    "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e64c7d89f26bd1972efa854d13d7dd61?s=40\u0026d=identicon"
  },
  "repository": {
    "name": "Gitlab Test",
    "url": "http://example.com/gitlabhq/gitlab-test.git",
    "description": "Aut reprehenderit ut est.",
    "homepage": "http://example.com/gitlabhq/gitlab-test"
  },
  "object_attributes": {
    "id": 301,
    "title": "New API: create/update/delete file",
    "assignee_id": 51,
    "author_id": 51,
    "project_id": 14,
    "created_at": "2013-12-03T17:15:43Z",
    "updated_at": "2013-12-03T17:15:43Z",
    "position": 0,
    "branch_name": null,
    "description": "Create new API for manipulations with repository",
    "milestone_id": null,
    "state": "opened",
    "iid": 23,
    "url": "http://example.com/diaspora/issues/23",
    "action": "open"
  }
}

Comment events

Triggered when a new comment is made on commits, merge requests, issues, and code snippets. The note data will be stored in object_attributes (e.g. note, noteable_type). The payload will also include information about the target of the comment. For example, a comment on a issue will include the specific issue information under the issue key. Valid target types:

1. commit
2. merge_request
3. issue
4. snippet

Comment on commit

Request header:

X-Gitlab-Event: Note Hook

Request body:

{
  "object_kind": "note",
  "user": {
    "name": "Adminstrator",
    "username": "root",
    "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e64c7d89f26bd1972efa854d13d7dd61?s=40\u0026d=identicon"
  },
  "project_id": 5,
  "repository": {
    "name": "Gitlab Test",
    "url": "http://localhost/gitlab-org/gitlab-test.git",
    "description": "Aut reprehenderit ut est.",
    "homepage": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test"
  },
  "object_attributes": {
    "id": 1243,
    "note": "This is a commit comment. How does this work?",
    "noteable_type": "Commit",
    "author_id": 1,
    "created_at": "2015-05-17 18:08:09 UTC",
    "updated_at": "2015-05-17 18:08:09 UTC",
    "project_id": 5,
    "attachment":null,
    "line_code": "bec9703f7a456cd2b4ab5fb3220ae016e3e394e3_0_1",
    "commit_id": "cfe32cf61b73a0d5e9f13e774abde7ff789b1660",
    "noteable_id": null,
    "system": false,
    "st_diff": {
      "diff": "--- /dev/null\n+++ b/six\n@@ -0,0 +1 @@\n+Subproject commit 409f37c4f05865e4fb208c771485f211a22c4c2d\n",
      "new_path": "six",
      "old_path": "six",
      "a_mode": "0",
      "b_mode": "160000",
      "new_file": true,
      "renamed_file": false,
      "deleted_file": false
    },
    "url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test/commit/cfe32cf61b73a0d5e9f13e774abde7ff789b1660#note_1243"
  },
  "commit": {
    "id": "cfe32cf61b73a0d5e9f13e774abde7ff789b1660",
    "message": "Add submodule\n\nSigned-off-by: Dmitriy Zaporozhets \u003cdmitriy.zaporozhets@gmail.com\u003e\n",
    "timestamp": "2014-02-27T10:06:20+02:00",
    "url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test/commit/cfe32cf61b73a0d5e9f13e774abde7ff789b1660",
    "author": {
      "name": "Dmitriy Zaporozhets",
      "email": "dmitriy.zaporozhets@gmail.com"
    }
  }
}

Comment on merge request

Request header:

X-Gitlab-Event: Note Hook

Request body:

{
  "object_kind": "note",
  "user": {
    "name": "Administrator",
    "username": "root",
    "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e64c7d89f26bd1972efa854d13d7dd61?s=40\u0026d=identicon"
  },
  "project_id": 5,
  "repository": {
    "name": "Gitlab Test",
    "url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test.git",
    "description": "Aut reprehenderit ut est.",
    "homepage": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test"
  },
  "object_attributes": {
    "id": 1244,
    "note": "This MR needs work.",
    "noteable_type": "MergeRequest",
    "author_id": 1,
    "created_at": "2015-05-17 18:21:36 UTC",
    "updated_at": "2015-05-17 18:21:36 UTC",
    "project_id": 5,
    "attachment": null,
    "line_code": null,
    "commit_id": "",
    "noteable_id": 7,
    "system": false,
    "st_diff": null,
    "url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test/merge_requests/1#note_1244"
  },
  "merge_request": {
    "id": 7,
    "target_branch": "markdown",
    "source_branch": "master",
    "source_project_id": 5,
    "author_id": 8,
    "assignee_id": 28,
    "title": "Tempora et eos debitis quae laborum et.",
    "created_at": "2015-03-01 20:12:53 UTC",
    "updated_at": "2015-03-21 18:27:27 UTC",
    "milestone_id": 11,
    "state": "opened",
    "merge_status": "cannot_be_merged",
    "target_project_id": 5,
    "iid": 1,
    "description": "Et voluptas corrupti assumenda temporibus. Architecto cum animi eveniet amet asperiores. Vitae numquam voluptate est natus sit et ad id.",
    "position": 0,
    "locked_at": null,
    "source": {
      "name": "Gitlab Test",
      "ssh_url": "git@example.com:gitlab-org/gitlab-test.git",
      "http_url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test.git",
      "web_url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test",
      "namespace": "Gitlab Org",
      "visibility_level": 10
    },
    "target": {
      "name": "Gitlab Test",
      "ssh_url": "git@example.com:gitlab-org/gitlab-test.git",
      "http_url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test.git",
      "web_url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test",
      "namespace": "Gitlab Org",
      "visibility_level": 10
    },
    "last_commit": {
      "id": "562e173be03b8ff2efb05345d12df18815438a4b",
      "message": "Merge branch 'another-branch' into 'master'\n\nCheck in this test\n",
      "timestamp": "2015-04-08T21: 00:25-07:00",
      "url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test/commit/562e173be03b8ff2efb05345d12df18815438a4b",
      "author": {
        "name": "John Smith",
        "email": "john@example.com"
      }
    }
  }
}

Comment on issue

Request header:

X-Gitlab-Event: Note Hook

Request body:

{
  "object_kind": "note",
  "user": {
    "name": "Adminstrator",
    "username": "root",
    "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e64c7d89f26bd1972efa854d13d7dd61?s=40\u0026d=identicon"
  },
  "project_id": 5,
  "repository": {
    "name": "Gitlab Test",
    "url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test.git",
    "description": "Aut reprehenderit ut est.",
    "homepage": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test"
  },
  "object_attributes": {
    "id": 1241,
    "note": "Hello world",
    "noteable_type": "Issue",
    "author_id": 1,
    "created_at": "2015-05-17 17:06:40 UTC",
    "updated_at": "2015-05-17 17:06:40 UTC",
    "project_id": 5,
    "attachment": null,
    "line_code": null,
    "commit_id": "",
    "noteable_id": 92,
    "system": false,
    "st_diff": null,
    "url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test/issues/17#note_1241"
  },
  "issue": {
    "id": 92,
    "title": "test",
    "assignee_id": null,
    "author_id": 1,
    "project_id": 5,
    "created_at": "2015-04-12 14:53:17 UTC",
    "updated_at": "2015-04-26 08:28:42 UTC",
    "position": 0,
    "branch_name": null,
    "description": "test",
    "milestone_id": null,
    "state": "closed",
    "iid": 17
  }
}

Comment on code snippet

Request header:

X-Gitlab-Event: Note Hook

Request body:

{
  "object_kind": "note",
  "user": {
    "name": "Administrator",
    "username": "root",
    "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e64c7d89f26bd1972efa854d13d7dd61?s=40\u0026d=identicon"
  },
  "project_id": 5,
  "repository": {
    "name": "Gitlab Test",
    "url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test.git",
    "description": "Aut reprehenderit ut est.",
    "homepage": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test"
  },
  "object_attributes": {
    "id": 1245,
    "note": "Is this snippet doing what it's supposed to be doing?",
    "noteable_type": "Snippet",
    "author_id": 1,
    "created_at": "2015-05-17 18:35:50 UTC",
    "updated_at": "2015-05-17 18:35:50 UTC",
    "project_id": 5,
    "attachment": null,
    "line_code": null,
    "commit_id": "",
    "noteable_id": 53,
    "system": false,
    "st_diff": null,
    "url": "http://example.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-test/snippets/53#note_1245"
  },
  "snippet": {
    "id": 53,
    "title": "test",
    "content": "puts 'Hello world'",
    "author_id": 1,
    "project_id": 5,
    "created_at": "2015-04-09 02:40:38 UTC",
    "updated_at": "2015-04-09 02:40:38 UTC",
    "file_name": "test.rb",
    "expires_at": null,
    "type": "ProjectSnippet",
    "visibility_level": 0
  }
}

Merge request events

Triggered when a new merge request is created, an existing merge request was updated/merged/closed or a commit is added in the source branch.

Request header:

X-Gitlab-Event: Merge Request Hook

Request body:

{
  "object_kind": "merge_request",
  "user": {
    "name": "Administrator",
    "username": "root",
    "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e64c7d89f26bd1972efa854d13d7dd61?s=40\u0026d=identicon"
  },
  "object_attributes": {
    "id": 99,
    "target_branch": "master",
    "source_branch": "ms-viewport",
    "source_project_id": 14,
    "author_id": 51,
    "assignee_id": 6,
    "title": "MS-Viewport",
    "created_at": "2013-12-03T17:23:34Z",
    "updated_at": "2013-12-03T17:23:34Z",
    "st_commits": null,
    "st_diffs": null,
    "milestone_id": null,
    "state": "opened",
    "merge_status": "unchecked",
    "target_project_id": 14,
    "iid": 1,
    "description": "",
    "source": {
      "name": "awesome_project",
      "ssh_url": "ssh://git@example.com/awesome_space/awesome_project.git",
      "http_url": "http://example.com/awesome_space/awesome_project.git",
      "web_url": "http://example.com/awesome_space/awesome_project",
      "visibility_level": 20,
      "namespace": "awesome_space"
    },
    "target": {
      "name": "awesome_project",
      "ssh_url": "ssh://git@example.com/awesome_space/awesome_project.git",
      "http_url": "http://example.com/awesome_space/awesome_project.git",
      "web_url": "http://example.com/awesome_space/awesome_project",
      "visibility_level": 20,
      "namespace": "awesome_space"
    },
    "last_commit": {
      "id": "da1560886d4f094c3e6c9ef40349f7d38b5d27d7",
      "message": "fixed readme",
      "timestamp": "2012-01-03T23:36:29+02:00",
      "url": "http://example.com/awesome_space/awesome_project/commits/da1560886d4f094c3e6c9ef40349f7d38b5d27d7",
      "author": {
        "name": "GitLab dev user",
        "email": "gitlabdev@dv6700.(none)"
      }
    },
    "url": "http://example.com/diaspora/merge_requests/1",
    "action": "open"
  }
}

Example webhook receiver

If you want to see GitLab's webhooks in action for testing purposes you can use a simple echo script running in a console session.

Save the following file as print_http_body.rb.

require 'webrick'

server = WEBrick::HTTPServer.new(:Port => ARGV.first)
server.mount_proc '/' do |req, res|
  puts req.body
end

trap 'INT' do 
  server.shutdown 
end
server.start

Pick an unused port (e.g. 8000) and start the script: ruby print_http_body.rb 8000. Then add your server as a webhook receiver in GitLab as http://my.host:8000/.

When you press 'Test Hook' in GitLab, you should see something like this in the console.

{"before":"077a85dd266e6f3573ef7e9ef8ce3343ad659c4e","after":"95cd4a99e93bc4bbabacfa2cd10e6725b1403c60",<SNIP>}
example.com - - [14/May/2014:07:45:26 EDT] "POST / HTTP/1.1" 200 0
- -> /