Branches
Read through GiLab’s branching documentation:
- Create a branch.
- Default branch.
- Protected branches.
- Delete merged branches.
- Branch filter search box.
See also:
- Branches API, for information on operating on repository branches using the GitLab API.
- GitLab Flow. Use the best of GitLab for your branching strategies.
- Getting started with Git and GitLab.
Default branch
When you create a new project, GitLab sets master
as the default
branch for your project. You can choose another branch to be your project’s
default under your project’s Settings > Repository.
The default branch is the branch affected by the issue closing pattern, which means that an issue will be closed when a merge request is merged to the default branch.
The default branch is also protected against accidental deletion. Read through the documentation on protected branches to learn more.
Delete merged branches
Introduced in GitLab 8.14.
This feature allows merged branches to be deleted in bulk. Only branches that have been merged and are not protected will be deleted as part of this operation.
It’s particularly useful to clean up old branches that were not deleted automatically when a merge request was merged.
Branch filter search box
Introduced in GitLab 11.5.
This feature allows you to search and select branches quickly. Search results appear in the following order:
- Branches with names that matched search terms exactly.
- Other branches with names that include search terms, sorted alphabetically.
Sometimes when you have hundreds of branches you may want a more flexible matching pattern. In such cases you can use the following:
-
^feature
will only match branch names that begin with ‘feature’. -
feature$
will only match branch names that end with ‘feature’.
Help and feedback
If there's something you don't like about this feature
To propose functionality that GitLab does not yet offer
To further help GitLab in shaping new features
If you didn't find what you were looking for
If you want help with something very specific to your use case, and can use some community support
POST ON GITLAB FORUM
If you have problems setting up or using this feature (depending on your GitLab subscription)
REQUEST SUPPORT
To view all GitLab tiers and features or to upgrade
If you want to try all features available in GitLab.com
If you want to try all features available in GitLab self-managed
If you spot an error or a need for improvement and would like to fix it yourself in a merge request
EDIT THIS PAGE
If you would like to suggest an improvement to this doc