GitLab Setup

This guide will help you set up Codity with GitLab to start reviewing merge requests automatically.

Prerequisites

• A GitLab account (GitLab.com or self-hosted instance) with access to the repositories you want to connect
• Ability to create Personal Access Tokens (PATs) in GitLab
• Repositories must allow webhook creation

Setup Steps

Step 1: Sign In with GitLab OAuth

1. Navigate to Codity Settings → Providers → GitLab
2. Click "Connect GitLab"
3. You'll be redirected to GitLab to authorize Codity
4. Sign in with your GitLab credentials
5. Grant Codity the requested permissions
6. You'll be redirected back to Codity

Step 2: Create a Personal Access Token

1. Go to GitLab → Settings → Access Tokens (or visit https://gitlab.com/-/profile/personal_access_tokens)
2. Click "Add new token"
3. Configure the token:
   • Token name: "Codity Access" (or any descriptive name)
   • Expiration date: Set to 90 days (recommended) or your preferred duration
   • Select scopes: Check the following required scopes:
     • api - Full API access
     • read_repository - Read repository contents
     • write_repository - Create branches and commits (for applying fixes)
     • read_user - Read user information
4. Click "Create personal access token"
5. Copy the token immediately - you won't be able to see it again

Step 3: Configure Token in Codity

1. Return to Codity Settings → Providers → GitLab
2. Paste your Personal Access Token into the "GitLab Token" field
3. If using a self-hosted GitLab instance, enter your GitLab API URL (e.g., https://gitlab.yourcompany.com/api/v4)
4. Click "Save" to store the token

Step 4: Enable Repositories

1. Navigate to Repositories → Add Repository
2. Select GitLab as your provider
3. Choose the repositories (projects) you want to enable for code reviews
4. Click "Enable" for each repository

Step 5: Verify Setup

1. Create a test merge request in one of your connected repositories
2. Wait 1-3 minutes for Codity to analyze the MR
3. Check the MR comments to see Codity's review feedback

Self-Hosted GitLab

A self-hosted GitLab CE/EE instance has its own sign-in path. You connect it from the sign-in page rather than by entering an API URL in Settings, and you choose whether Codity works with your personal projects or with a group.

See Self-Hosted GitLab Setup for the full guide, including how to register a single sign-on application so your team never pastes access tokens.

Self-hosted instances support the same review, scanning and analytics features as GitLab.com.

Best Practices

1. Set appropriate token expiration: Use 90-day expiration for balance of security and convenience
2. Rotate tokens proactively: Update tokens 1-2 weeks before expiration to avoid downtime
3. Use descriptive token names: Name tokens clearly (e.g., "Codity Production - Expires 2024-03-15")
4. Monitor token usage: Periodically review active tokens in GitLab and revoke unused ones
5. Document token expiration dates: Keep track of when tokens expire to plan rotations
6. Test after token updates: After updating a token, create a test MR to verify everything works
7. Use group tokens when possible: For group repositories, consider using group-level tokens for better management

Next Steps

• Learn about Self-Hosted GitLab setup
• Learn about GitHub setup
• Learn about Azure DevOps setup
• Learn about Bitbucket setup
• Learn about JIRA Integration for connecting JIRA tickets to PR reviews
• Check the Getting Started Guide for general setup instructions