# GitLab Group import and export API

**Canonical:** https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-group-import-and-export-api/  
**Provider:** GitLab — https://apis.io/providers/gitlab/  
**Base URL:** https://gitlab.com/api/v4  
**Documentation:** https://docs.gitlab.com/api/rest/

GitLab Group import and export API is one of 189 APIs that [GitLab](https://apis.io/providers/gitlab/) publishes on the [APIs.io](https://apis.io/) network, described by a machine-readable OpenAPI specification and an AsyncAPI event-driven specification. This API exposes 16 JSON Schema definitions. Tagged areas include Group import and export. The published artifact set on APIs.io includes an OpenAPI specification, API documentation, authentication docs, an API reference, rate-limit docs, an AsyncAPI specification, and 16 JSON Schemas.

Use this API to [migrate a group structure](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/group/import/) by exporting and importing a file. When you use it with the [project import and export API](https://docs.gitlab.com/api/project_import_export/), you can preserve relationships that span the group, such as connections between project issues and group epics. Run the group export and import first, then import the project exports into the group structure. A group export includes group milestones, boards, labels, badges, members, events, wikis (Premium and Ultimate only), and subgroups. Each subgroup includes all of the same data. To preserve the member list and permissions of an imported group, make sure those users exist on the destination instance before you import. Because of [issue 405168](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/405168), imported groups have a `private` visibility level unless you import them into a parent group. By default, groups imported into a parent group inherit the visibility of the parent. The destination instance uses the group relations export endpoints during [group migration by direct transfer](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/group/import/). You don't usually need to call them yourself. In this context, a relation is an exportable item such as an epic, including any related items such as a label. These endpoints require your instance to meet certain [prerequisites](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/group/import/direct_transfer_migrations/#prerequisites), and can't be used with the file-based export and import endpoints.

## Operations (7)

| Method | Path | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| POST | `/api/v4/groups/import/authorize` | Workhorse authorize the group import upload |
| POST | `/api/v4/groups/import` | Create a group import |
| GET | `/api/v4/groups/{id}/export/download` | Retrieve a group export download |
| POST | `/api/v4/groups/{id}/export` | Create a group export |
| POST | `/api/v4/groups/{id}/export_relations` | Schedule a relations export for a group |
| GET | `/api/v4/groups/{id}/export_relations/download` | Download a relations export for a group |
| GET | `/api/v4/groups/{id}/export_relations/status` | Retrieve the status of an relations export for a group |

## Machine-readable artifacts (65)

- **OpenAPI** — https://artifacts.apis.io/gitlab/openapi/gitlab-group-import-and-export-api-openapi.yml
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/openapi/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/issues/
- **Authentication** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/rest/authentication/
- **JSONSchema** — https://artifacts.apis.io/gitlab/json-schema/gitlab-put-api-v4-application-settings-request-schema.json
- **JSONSchema** — https://artifacts.apis.io/gitlab/json-schema/gitlab-apientities-geo-node-status-schema.json
- **JSONSchema** — https://artifacts.apis.io/gitlab/json-schema/gitlab-apientities-geo-site-status-schema.json
- **JSONSchema** — https://artifacts.apis.io/gitlab/json-schema/gitlab-apientities-application-setting-schema.json
- **JSONSchema** — https://artifacts.apis.io/gitlab/json-schema/gitlab-post-api-v4-geo-status-request-schema.json
- **JSONSchema** — https://artifacts.apis.io/gitlab/json-schema/gitlab-put-api-v4-projects-id-request-schema.json
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/merge_requests/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/pipelines/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/jobs/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/runners/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/users/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/repositories/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/commits/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/branches/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/tags/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/releases/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/environments/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/deployments/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/pipeline_schedules/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/labels/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/milestones/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/notes/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/snippets/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/packages/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/container_registry/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/vulnerabilities/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/deploy_keys/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/protected_branches/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/wikis/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/events/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/search/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/namespaces/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/groups/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/projects/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/applications/
- **Documentation** — https://docs.gitlab.com/api/avatar/
- …and 25 more, listed in full on the page.

## Other GitLab APIs (12)

- [GitLab Orbit gRPC API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-orbit-api/)
- [GitLab GraphQL API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-graphql-api/)
- [GitLab Applications API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-applications-api/)
- [GitLab Authorization API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-authorization-api/)
- [GitLab Broadcast Messages API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-broadcast-messages-api/)
- [GitLab Groups API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-groups-api/)
- [GitLab Metadata API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-metadata-api/)
- [GitLab Project Webhooks API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-project-webhooks-api/)
- [GitLab Projects API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-projects-api/)
- [GitLab Tokens API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-tokens-api/)
- [GitLab User Info API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-user-info-api/)
- [GitLab Webhook Configuration API](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-webhook-configuration-api/)

## Tags

Group import and export

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Profiled by [API Evangelist](https://apievangelist.com) and published on [APIs.io](https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-group-import-and-export-api/). The API's provider profile, Kin Score and agent-readiness rating are at https://apis.io/providers/gitlab/.