# Set up a GitLab account

> **TL;DR**
> GitLab settings: `Settings | Version Control | GitLab`
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> Required plugins: Git and GitLab (bundled and enabled by default)

With IntelliJ IDEA, you can:

* [Access your GitLab projects](#manage-gitlab-accounts) without leaving the IDE.

* [Clone and share projects](clone-gitlab-project.html) hosted on GitLab.

* [Work with GitLab merge requests](work-with-gitlab-merge-requests.html).

* [Define CI/CD jobs in a GitLab configuration file](gitlab-ci-cd.html).

> **Note:**
> The integration supports GitLab Community Edition and GitLab Enterprise Edition versions 14.0 and later.

## Manage GitLab accounts

To retrieve data from a project hosted on GitLab or share your projects, you need to log in to your GitLab account in IntelliJ IDEA.

Procedure: Log in to GitLab

1. Press `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Windows), `⌘ Comma` (macOS), `⌘ Comma` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ Comma` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ Comma` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ Comma` (Eclipse (macOS)) to open settings and then select `Version Control | GitLab`.

2. Click ![the Add button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg). The Add GitLab Account dialog opens:

![Add GitHub Account dialog](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/ws_log_in_with_access_token.png)

3. In the dialog, do one of the following:

* If you already have a token, insert it in the Token field.

* If you have no token, click Generate. In the token generation page that opens, make sure that the `api` and `read_user` scopes are selected. Click Create personal access token, copy the token, and paste it into the Add GitLab Account dialog window.

4. Click Log In.

When your token expires, you will get a warning when trying to push changes to the GitLab repository. Either use this warning to generate a new token or remove and re-add your account in `Settings | Version Control | GitLab`.

See [Personal access tokens](https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/profile/personal_access_tokens.html) for more details on GitLab tokens.

Procedure: Manage multiple GitLab accounts

You can use multiple GitLab accounts in IntelliJ IDEA: for example, a personal account to work on an open-source project, and a corporate account for your main job.

1. Press `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Windows), `⌘ Comma` (macOS), `⌘ Comma` (IntelliJ IDEA Classic (macOS)), `⌘ Comma` (macOS System Shortcuts), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (XWin), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (GNOME), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (KDE), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Emacs), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Sublime Text), `⌘ Comma` (Sublime Text (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (NetBeans), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Visual Studio), `⌘ Comma` (Visual Studio (macOS)), `Ctrl+Alt+S` (Eclipse), `⌘ Comma` (Eclipse (macOS)) to open settings and then select `Version Control | GitLab`.

2. Use the ![add icon](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.expui.general.add.svg) button to add as many accounts as you need.

3. To set an account as the default one for the current project, select it and click ![the Check button](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/app.actions.checked.svg).

![Check button that sets the default account](https://resources.jetbrains.com/help/img/idea/2026.2/set_default_account_gitlab.png)