• Prerequisites
• Schedule new export
• Export download
• Import a file

Group import and export API

Use the group import and export API to export a group structure and import it to a new location. When you use the group import and export API with the project import and export API, you can preserve connections with group-level relationships, such as connections between project issues and group epics.

Group exports include the following:

• Group milestones
• Group boards
• Group labels
• Group badges
• Group members
• Subgroups. Each subgroup includes all data above
• Group wikis

To preserve group-level relationships from imported projects, you should run group import and export first. This way, you can import project exports into the desired group structure.

Imported groups have a private visibility level unless you import them into a parent group. If you import groups into a parent group, the subgroups inherit by default a similar level of visibility.

To preserve the member list and their respective permissions on imported groups, review the users in these groups. Make sure these users exist before importing the desired groups.

Prerequisites

For information on prerequisites for group import and export API, see prerequisites for migrating groups by uploading an export file.

Schedule new export

Start a new group export.

POST /groups/:id/export

curl --request POST --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/1/export"

{
  "message": "202 Accepted"
}

Export download

Download the finished export.

GET /groups/:id/export/download

group=1
token=secret
curl --request GET\
     --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: ${token}" \
     --output download_group_${group}.tar.gz \
     "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/${group}/export/download"

ls *export.tar.gz
2020-12-05_22-11-148_namespace_export.tar.gz

Time spent on exporting a group may vary depending on a size of the group. This endpoint returns either:

• The exported archive (when available)
• A 404 message

Import a file

POST /groups/import

To upload a file from your file system, use the --form argument. This causes cURL to post data using the header Content-Type: multipart/form-data. The file= parameter must point to a file on your file system and be preceded by @. For example:

curl --request POST --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
     --form "name=imported-group" --form "path=imported-group" \
     --form "file=@/path/to/file" "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/groups/import"