10 Gitlab Groups Best Practices

Gitlab Groups are a great way to organize and manage projects and repositories. They provide a way to group related projects together and manage access control for users. However, it can be difficult to know how to best use Gitlab Groups to maximize their potential.

In this article, we will discuss 10 best practices for using Gitlab Groups. We will cover topics such as setting up the right permissions, organizing projects, and managing users. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your Gitlab Groups are set up for success.

1. Use groups to manage access

By using groups, you can easily control who has access to what repositories and projects. This makes it easier to manage permissions for multiple users at once, rather than having to set them up individually.

You can also use groups to assign roles to members of the group. For example, if you have a development team, you could create a “Developers” group and assign each member of the team a specific role (e.g., Developer, Tester, etc.). This way, you can quickly grant or revoke access to certain repositories or projects based on their role in the group.

Finally, by using groups, you can ensure that all members of the group are kept up-to-date with any changes made to the repository or project. This is especially useful when working in teams, as everyone will be aware of any new features or bug fixes that have been implemented.

2. Create subgroups for better organization

Subgroups allow you to break down your projects into smaller, more manageable chunks. This makes it easier for team members to find the information they need quickly and efficiently.

Subgroups also help with security by allowing you to assign different permissions to each subgroup. For example, if you have a development group that needs access to certain files, but not others, you can create a separate subgroup just for them and give them the appropriate permissions.

Finally, subgroups make it easier to track progress on specific tasks or projects. By creating a subgroup for each task or project, you can easily see who is working on what and how far along they are in their work.

3. Limit the number of projects in a group

Having too many projects in a group can make it difficult to manage and keep track of them. It also makes it harder for members to find the project they need, as well as making it more likely that important changes will be missed or overlooked.

By limiting the number of projects in a group, you can ensure that all projects are properly managed and tracked. This will help your team stay organized and productive, while ensuring that everyone is on the same page when it comes to their work.

4. Use labels and milestones to organize your work

Labels are a great way to categorize and prioritize tasks, while milestones help you track progress towards specific goals.

Using labels and milestones together can help you stay organized and on top of your work. Labels allow you to quickly identify the type of task or issue that needs to be addressed, while milestones provide an overview of what needs to be done in order to reach a certain goal. This makes it easier for everyone involved to understand the scope of the project and how their individual contributions fit into the bigger picture.

5. Group-level CI/CD configuration

Group-level CI/CD configuration allows you to define a set of rules that apply to all projects within the group. This makes it easier to manage and maintain your pipelines, as well as ensure consistency across all projects. It also helps reduce complexity by allowing you to configure settings once at the group level instead of having to do so for each individual project.

Additionally, group-level CI/CD configuration can help improve security by ensuring that only authorized users have access to certain resources or features. For example, you could restrict access to specific branches or repositories based on user roles. Finally, this type of configuration can help streamline development processes by making sure everyone is following the same standards and procedures.

6. Set up a default branch protection policy

A branch protection policy is a set of rules that define who can make changes to the code in a particular branch. This helps ensure that only authorized users are able to commit changes, and it also prevents accidental or malicious changes from being made.

By setting up a default branch protection policy for your Gitlab group, you can help ensure that all branches have some level of protection against unauthorized access. This will help keep your code secure and prevent any unwanted changes from being made.

7. Customize the project templates

Project templates are a great way to ensure that all projects within the group have the same structure and settings. This makes it easier for members of the team to quickly understand how the project is set up, as well as making sure everyone is on the same page when it comes to coding standards and other important aspects of the project.

By customizing the project templates, you can make sure that each project has the exact same setup, which will save time and effort in the long run. Additionally, this will help keep your codebase consistent across all projects, ensuring that any changes made to one project won’t affect another.

8. Enable merge request approvals

Merge request approvals allow you to ensure that all changes are reviewed and approved by the appropriate people before they are merged into the main branch. This helps prevent errors from being introduced, as well as ensuring that any code changes meet your standards for quality and security.

Enabling merge request approvals also allows you to set up a workflow where multiple people can review and approve changes before they are merged. This is especially important in larger teams or organizations, where it’s important to have multiple sets of eyes on each change.

9. Add an issue board to your group

An issue board allows you to easily track and manage tasks, bugs, and feature requests. It also provides a visual representation of the progress being made on each task or project. This makes it easier for team members to stay organized and up-to-date with what needs to be done.

Additionally, an issue board can help keep conversations focused and organized by providing a place to discuss issues in detail. This helps ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes to understanding the scope of work and any potential roadblocks. Finally, having an issue board can make it easier to assign tasks to specific team members and provide visibility into who is responsible for which tasks.

10. Keep your issues organized with epics

Epics are a way to group related issues together, making it easier for you and your team to track progress on larger projects. This helps keep everyone on the same page and makes sure that no tasks get lost in the shuffle.

Epics also make it easy to assign tasks to specific members of the team, as well as set deadlines and milestones. This ensures that everyone is aware of their responsibilities and can work towards completing them in an efficient manner. Finally, epics provide visibility into the overall progress of the project, allowing you to quickly identify any areas where additional resources may be needed.