Migrating from GitHub to GitLab Seamlessly: A Step-by-Step Guide

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Moving a project or entire organization from GitHub to GitLab does not have to be disruptive. With a bit of preparation and a clear migration plan, teams can switch platforms while protecting their code, issues, workflows, and collaboration history. This guide walks through the process step by step so small teams, growing product companies, and independent developers can migrate with confidence.

Key Takeaways

  • Plan your migration before you click “import” by auditing repositories, access, and integrations.
  • Use GitLab’s built-in GitHub integration to import repositories, issues, milestones, labels, and merge requests where possible.
  • Decide how you will handle CI/CD pipelines and secrets, as they do not always map one-to-one between platforms.
  • Run a test migration on a sample project before moving critical production repositories.
  • Communicate clearly with your team about timelines, permissions, and the cutover process.

1. Decide Why You’re Migrating (and What You’re Moving)

Before touching any settings, clarify your goals. Your “why” shapes your migration strategy and what you prioritize.

Common reasons teams move from GitHub to GitLab

  • All-in-one DevSecOps platform: GitLab bundles source control, CI/CD, security scans, and project management in one place.
  • Self-hosting or compliance: Some teams need tighter control over hosting, data residency, or access policies.
  • Cost and licensing: Consolidating tools can reduce operational overhead and simplify billing.
  • Security and governance: Granular permissions, audit logs, and policy-driven pipelines.

Next, define the scope of what you are moving:

  • Code only (repositories and branches)
  • Code + collaboration (issues, PRs/MRs, labels, milestones, wikis)
  • Full workflows (CI/CD pipelines, packages, container images, webhooks, automations)

For many small teams, a staged approach works well: move core repositories first, then move issues and automation once you’ve validated the basics.

2. Prepare Your GitHub Repositories for Migration

A bit of cleanup on GitHub reduces noise and makes it easier to confirm a successful migration.

Repository cleanup checklist

  • Archive unused repos: Archive or delete legacy or experimental repositories you no longer need.
  • Close stale pull requests: Merge or close outdated PRs that nobody will act on.
  • Standardize default branches: Make sure your main branch name is consistent (e.g., main), or note differences per repo.
  • Review access: Confirm who has admin rights and who should have access in GitLab after migration.
  • Document current workflows: Note how CI/CD, webhooks, and external integrations (Slack, Jira, etc.) are configured.

This information makes it easier to recreate or adjust your workflows in GitLab.

3. Set Up Your GitLab Environment

GitLab can be used as GitLab.com (hosted) or self-managed. The setup process is similar either way, but self-hosted instances will include extra infrastructure steps.

Create your GitLab account and groups

  1. Create or log in to your GitLab account.
  2. Create a group that will hold your projects (repos). For organizations, groups often map to your company or product line.
  3. Under the group, define subgroups if you want to mirror GitHub organizations or teams (e.g., frontend, backend, ops).

Configure basic group settings

  • Visibility: Decide which projects should be public, internal, or private.
  • Permissions: Set role-based access (Guest, Reporter, Developer, Maintainer, Owner).
  • Default branch: Align this with your GitHub convention.

Doing this upfront keeps your permission model consistent when new projects are imported.

4. Enable the GitHub Integration in GitLab

GitLab can connect directly to GitHub using OAuth or personal access tokens. This allows you to import repositories and associated data with fewer manual steps.

Create a GitHub personal access token

  1. In GitHub, go to Settings > Developer settings > Personal access tokens.
  2. Create a new token with scopes that allow reading repositories, issues, and pull requests (e.g., repo, read:org as needed).
  3. Copy the token and store it securely for the next step.

Connect GitLab to GitHub

  1. In GitLab, go to New project or your group’s project area.
  2. Select the option to Import project and choose GitHub as the source.
  3. When prompted, provide your GitHub personal access token.
  4. Authorize GitLab to access your GitHub repositories.

Once connected, GitLab will show a list of available GitHub repositories you can import.

5. Import Repositories and Project Data

After integration is configured, you can import your repositories project by project or in batches.

Import a repository from GitHub to GitLab

  1. In GitLab, choose New project > Import project > GitHub.
  2. Select the GitHub repository you want to import.
  3. Confirm the target namespace (group) and project name.
  4. Choose what to import, based on options available:
    • Repository (commits, branches, tags)
    • Issues and pull requests (mapped to GitLab issues and merge requests)
    • Labels, milestones, and comments
    • Wiki pages (if supported for that project)
  5. Start the import and wait for GitLab to finish processing.

For each imported project, review the import log in GitLab to see if any items failed or were skipped.

Verify the imported project

  • Check the commit history and confirm branches are present.
  • Open a few issues and merge requests to verify comments, labels, and authors.
  • Confirm the default branch and protection rules match your GitHub setup.
  • Test cloning the new GitLab project locally.

Repeat this process for all repositories you plan to migrate. For large portfolios, start with a small pilot project to validate the process before you move mission-critical code.

6. Recreate CI/CD Pipelines and Automation

GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD solve similar problems using different configuration formats. This usually requires some translation rather than a direct import.

Plan your CI/CD migration

  • List existing workflows: Identify which GitHub Actions workflows, checks, or third-party CI providers your repo uses.
  • Prioritize critical pipelines: Focus first on production build, test, and deployment pipelines.
  • Identify secrets: Note environment variables and secrets used by your workflows so you can recreate them in GitLab.

Create GitLab CI/CD pipelines

  1. Add a .gitlab-ci.yml file to the root of your repository.
  2. Define stages (e.g., build, test, deploy).
  3. Translate each key workflow into GitLab jobs.
  4. Configure GitLab Runners (shared or self-hosted) if necessary.

Use GitLab’s pipeline editor and built-in templates as starting points. For simple setups, you can often recreate a minimal pipeline and iterate from there.

Set secrets and environment variables

  • In GitLab, go to Settings > CI/CD > Variables for the project.
  • Add sensitive values (API keys, tokens, connection strings) as masked, protected variables.
  • Update your .gitlab-ci.yml to reference these variables.

Run your pipelines and fix any issues before you fully switch traffic to the GitLab-based workflow.

7. Reconnect Integrations and Webhooks

Many teams use GitHub as a hub for notifications and automations. Those integrations need to be rebuilt or updated to point to GitLab.

Common integrations to review

  • Chat tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Discord notifications.
  • Issue trackers: Jira, Linear, or other project management tools.
  • Monitoring/ops: Sentry, Datadog, or similar tools referencing GitHub repositories.
  • Deployment platforms: Platforms that pull code or webhooks from GitHub.

For each integration:

  1. Create new GitLab webhooks pointing to your external tools.
  2. Update any external apps that reference GitHub URLs, branches, or repos.
  3. Test notifications and workflows to confirm they trigger correctly from GitLab events.

8. Update Local Clones and Developer Workflows

Once repositories are imported and validated, your team needs to switch from GitHub remotes to GitLab remotes in their local environments.

Change the Git remote for each repository

  1. In your local repo folder, check the current remote:
    • git remote -v
  2. Update the origin remote to the new GitLab URL:
    • git remote set-url origin <new-gitlab-repo-url>
  3. Fetch and verify:
    • git fetch origin
    • git branch -r to confirm remote branches.

Share this process with your team, along with the timeline for when GitHub repositories will be locked or archived.

9. Plan the Cutover and Decommission GitHub Repositories

To avoid confusion and accidental divergence between platforms, plan a clear cutover window.

Cutover checklist

  • Announce a freeze window on GitHub (no new branches or pull requests) while final sync occurs.
  • Perform a last sync or import in GitLab if needed for any recent changes.
  • Confirm GitLab pipelines, permissions, and integrations are working in production.
  • Lock or archive GitHub repositories to prevent new changes after the switch.
  • Update documentation, READMEs, and internal links to point to GitLab.

Keep GitHub repos archived but accessible for a time in case you need to reference old issues or PR discussions.

Conclusion: Make the Move Without Losing Momentum

Migrating from GitHub to GitLab is less about clicking an import button and more about planning: clarifying why you’re moving, deciding what to bring over, and validating that your workflows still serve your team. With a structured approach—preparation, import, CI/CD translation, integration updates, and a clean cutover—you can shift platforms without slowing down delivery.

If your team would benefit from outside help planning or executing a GitHub-to-GitLab migration—especially when it touches CI/CD, containerization, and deployment pipelines—Izende Studio Web can help you design a tailored, low-friction path forward.

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