---
stage: Manage
group: Access
info: "To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments"
type: reference, howto
---

# Project access tokens

> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/210181) in GitLab 13.0.
> - [Became available on GitLab.com](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/235765) in GitLab 13.5 for paid groups only.
> - [Feature flag removed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/235765) in GitLab 13.5.
> - [Changed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/342327) in GitLab 14.5. Default prefix added.

You can use a project access token to authenticate:

- With the [GitLab API](../../../api/index.md#personalproject-access-tokens).
- With Git, when using HTTP Basic Authentication.

After you configure a project access token, you don't need a password when you authenticate.
Instead, you can enter any non-blank value.

Project access tokens are similar to [personal access tokens](../../profile/personal_access_tokens.md),
except they are associated with a project rather than a user.

You can use project access tokens:

- On GitLab SaaS if you have the Premium license tier or higher. Personal access tokens are not available with a [trial license](https://about.gitlab.com/free-trial/).
- On self-managed instances of GitLab, with any license tier. If you have the Free tier:
  - Review your security and compliance policies around
    [user self-enrollment](../../admin_area/settings/sign_up_restrictions.md#disable-new-sign-ups).
  - Consider [disabling project access tokens](#enable-or-disable-project-access-token-creation) to
    lower potential abuse.

Project access tokens inherit the [default prefix setting](../../admin_area/settings/account_and_limit_settings.md#personal-access-token-prefix)
configured for personal access tokens.

## Create a project access token

To create a project access token:

1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** and find your project.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > Access Tokens**.
1. Enter a name.
1. Optional. Enter an expiry date for the token. The token will expire on that date at midnight UTC.
1. Select a role for the token.
1. Select the [desired scopes](#scopes-for-a-project-access-token).
1. Select  **Create project access token**.

A project access token is displayed. Save the project access token somewhere safe. After you leave or refresh the page, you can't view it again.

## Revoke a project access token

To revoke a project access token:

1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** and find your project.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > Access Tokens**.
1. Next to the project access token to revoke, select **Revoke**.

## Scopes for a project access token

The scope determines the actions you can perform when you authenticate with a project access token.

| Scope              | Description                                                                                                                                                 |
|:-------------------|:------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| `api`              | Grants complete read and write access to the scoped project API, including the [Package Registry](../../packages/package_registry/index.md).                |
| `read_api`         | Grants read access to the scoped project API, including the [Package Registry](../../packages/package_registry/index.md).                                   |
| `read_registry`    | Allows read access (pull) to the [Container Registry](../../packages/container_registry/index.md) images if a project is private and authorization is required. |
| `write_registry`   | Allows write access (push) to the [Container Registry](../../packages/container_registry/index.md).                                                             |
| `read_repository`  | Allows read access (pull) to the repository.                                                                                                                |
| `write_repository` | Allows read and write access (pull and push) to the repository.                                                                                             |

## Enable or disable project access token creation

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/287707) in GitLab 13.11.

To enable or disable project access token creation for all projects in a top-level group:

1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups** and find your group.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > General**.
1. Expand **Permissions, LFS, 2FA**.
1. Under **Permissions**, turn on or off **Allow project access token creation**.

Even when creation is disabled, you can still use and revoke existing project access tokens.

## Group access tokens **(FREE SELF)**

With group access tokens, you can use a single token to:

- Perform actions for groups.
- Manage the projects within the group.
- In [GitLab 14.2](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/330718) and later, authenticate with Git over HTTPS.

NOTE:
You cannot use the UI to create a group access token. [An issue exists](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/214045)
to add this functionality. This section describes a workaround.

If you are an administrator of a self-managed GitLab instance, you can create a group access token in the
[Rails console](../../../administration/operations/rails_console.md).

<div class="video-fallback">
  For a demo of the group access token workaround, see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2fg1P1xmU0">Demo: Group Level Access Tokens</a>.
</div>
<figure class="video-container">
  <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/W2fg1P1xmU0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"> </iframe>
</figure>

### Create a group access token

To create a group access token:

1. Run the following commands in a [Rails console](../../../administration/operations/rails_console.md):

   ```ruby
   # Set the GitLab administration user to use. If user ID 1 is not available or is not an adinistrator, use 'admin = User.admins.first' instead to select an admininistrator.
   admin = User.find(1)

   # Set the group group you want to create a token for. For example, group with ID 109.
   group = Group.find(109)

   # Create the group bot user. For further group access tokens, the username should be group_#{group.id}_bot#{bot_count}. For example, group_109_bot2 and email address group_109_bot2@example.com.
   bot = Users::CreateService.new(admin, { name: 'group_token', username: "group_#{group.id}_bot", email: "group_#{group.id}_bot@example.com", user_type: :project_bot }).execute
   
   # Confirm the group bot.
   bot.confirm

   # Add the bot to the group with the required role.
   group.add_user(bot, :maintainer)

   # Give the bot a personal access token.
   token = bot.personal_access_tokens.create(scopes:[:api, :write_repository], name: 'group_token')

   # Get the token value.
   gtoken = token.token
   ```

1. Test if the generated group access token works:

   1. Use the group access token in the `PRIVATE-TOKEN` header with GitLab REST APIs. For example:
  
      - [Create an epic](../../../api/epics.md#new-epic) in the group.
      - [Create a project pipeline](../../../api/pipelines.md#create-a-new-pipeline) in one of the group's projects.
      - [Create an issue](../../../api/issues.md#new-issue) in one of the group's projects.
  
   1. Use the group token to [clone a group's project](../../../gitlab-basics/start-using-git.md#clone-with-https)
      using HTTPS.

### Revoke a group access token

To revoke a group access token, run the following command in a [Rails console](../../../administration/operations/rails_console.md):

```ruby
bot = User.find_by(username: 'group_109_bot') # the owner of the token you want to revoke
token = bot.personal_access_tokens.last # the token you want to revoke
token.revoke!
```

## Project bot users

> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/210181) in GitLab 13.0.
> - [Excluded from license seat use](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/223695) in GitLab 13.5.

Project bot users are [GitLab-created service accounts](../../../subscriptions/self_managed/index.md#billable-users).
Each time you create a project access token, a bot user is created and added to the project.
These bot users do not count as licensed seats.

The bot users have [permissions](../../permissions.md#project-members-permissions) that correspond with the
selected role and [scope](#scopes-for-a-project-access-token) of the project access token.

- The name is set to the name of the token.
- The username is set to `project_{project_id}_bot` for the first access token. For example, `project_123_bot`.
- The email is set to `project{project_id}_bot@example.com`. For example, `project123_bot@example.com`.
- For additional access tokens in the same project, the username is set to `project_{project_id}_bot{bot_count}`. For
  example, `project_123_bot1`.
- For additional access tokens in the same project, the email is set to `project{project_id}_bot{bot_count}@example.com`.
  For example, `project123_bot1@example.com`.

API calls made with a project access token are associated with the corresponding bot user.

Bot users:

- Are included in a project's member list but cannot be modified.
- Cannot be added to any other project.

When the project access token is [revoked](#revoke-a-project-access-token):

- The bot user is deleted.
- All records are moved to a system-wide user with the username `Ghost User`. For more information, see
  [associated records](../../profile/account/delete_account.md#associated-records).