| name | gitlab |
| description | Read, search, create, and update GitLab merge requests, pipelines, issues, and releases via the glab CLI. Use when viewing or creating an MR, checking CI pipeline status, reading or filing issues, or managing releases on GitLab. |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| tags | ["gitlab","glab","merge-requests","pipelines","ci","issues"] |
| metadata | {"related-skills":"jira"} |
GitLab
Read and write GitLab using the glab CLI. No REST API
tokens or browser automation — glab reuses its own
authenticated config.
Prerequisites
glab installed (via nix devPackages).glab auth login completed once by the user. If a command
reports "not authenticated", stop and ask the user to run
! glab auth login — never run it yourself.- Run inside a checkout of the target GitLab repo when
possible;
glab resolves the host and project from the git
remote.
Instance Resolution
glab resolves the target host itself, in order:
- Git remote of the current repo (primary).
GITLAB_HOST environment variable (fallback for
out-of-repo use).glab multi-host config in ~/.config/glab-cli/config.yml.
Never hardcode a host — this repo is public. If host
resolution fails, report it and ask which host/repo to target.
Invocation
Accepts a command plus arguments. If no command is given,
infer from context or ask. If a command needs an MR, issue,
or pipeline reference and none is given, ask.
Command Routing
| Command | Reference | Load When |
|---|
| mr | references/merge-requests.md | Any merge request operation |
| ci | references/pipelines.md | Pipeline/job status, logs, retry |
| issue | references/issues.md | Issue read/search/create/update |
| repo | references/repo-releases.md | Clone, browse, release, variables |
| setup | references/setup.md | Auth or host troubleshooting |
Drafting an MR description: see references/templates.md.
Safety
create, merge, approve, close, and variable set
change shared state visible to others. Always show the exact
glab command and get explicit user confirmation before
running a state-changing command. Never merge or push
without instruction. No retry loops.
Error Handling
Report clearly and stop.
| Condition | Action |
|---|
| Not authenticated | Ask user to run glab auth login |
| Host not resolved | Report; ask which host/repo |
| Not inside a repo | Ask for repo, or use -R host/group/project |
| MR / issue / pipeline 404 | Report stale or wrong reference |
| Permission denied | Report the missing scope/role |
glab non-zero exit | Print stderr verbatim, stop |
| No results (list/search) | Report empty result set |
