GitLab group name checker and rules
A business claims its name as a group, gitlab.com/yourname. Our check looks up both users and groups at that address. How our checks work
What can a GitLab group URL contain?
Letters, numbers, underscores, periods and hyphens, starting and ending with a letter or number. The group's display name can also hold spaces and emoji; the URL can't.
| Character | Allowed? | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Letters a to z | Yes | Anywhere; no accents |
| Numbers 0 to 9 | Yes | Anywhere |
| Underscore, period, hyphen | Yes | Not first or last, never two in a row |
| Ending in .git or .atom | No | |
| Spaces, emoji | No | Display name only |
Usernames must be 2 to 255 characters. GitLab doesn't publish a length for group URLs; our checker uses the same range. Avoid periods if you'll publish Terraform modules: GitLab warns they break SSL certificate checks.[1, 4, 5, 9]
Which names are reserved on GitLab?
Words GitLab uses for its own pages, such as admin, api, dashboard, explore, groups, login, projects, search and users. They can't be top-level group names or usernames.[1]
How do you create a GitLab group?
From the Create new menu, once you're signed in.
- Check the name above, with GitHub and the .com.
- Sign up for GitLab, or sign in.
- Select Create new, then New group, then Create group.
- Enter the group name and group URL, choose who can see it, and select Create group.[2]
How much does a GitLab group cost?
Nothing on Free. Private top-level groups on Free are limited to 5 users.
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 users per private group, 400 compute minutes a month, 10 GiB storage |
| Premium | $29 per user a month, billed yearly | Unlimited users, 10,000 compute minutes |
| Ultimate | Custom pricing | Security testing, 50,000 compute minutes |
Sources [3]
What should you know before you claim a GitLab name?
Names are first come, first served, and renaming a group releases its old URL.
| Fact | What it means |
|---|---|
| First come, first served | Usernames and top-level group names go to whoever claims them first |
| Renaming releases the URL | After a path change, another group or user can claim the old one |
| Keep the old URL | Create a new group and move projects to it instead of renaming |
| Dormant names | Paid customers can ask Support to release one; Support may contact the owner first |
What if someone already has your GitLab name?
A trademark gives no priority to a GitLab name. GitLab acts only when you prove a registered trademark and clear unauthorized use, and its Support handbook says it won't release a name for trademark reasons without a court order.[6, 7]
Which platforms should you claim with GitLab?
GitHub, npm, PyPI, X and the .com.
Checks GitLab, GitHub, npm, PyPI, X and the .com in one search.
Sources (9)
- PrimaryGitLab Docs: Reserved project and group names
- PrimaryGitLab Docs: Groups
- PrimaryGitLab: Pricing
- PrimaryGitLab Docs: Namespaces
- PrimaryGitLab Docs: User account
- PrimaryGitLab Handbook: Name Squatting Policy, read from its source file on gitlab.com
- PrimaryGitLab Handbook: Intellectual property on GitLab.com, read from its source file on gitlab.com
- PrimaryGitLab Docs: Manage groups
- PrimaryZero To 1000's platform catalog: GitLab rules from GitLab Docs