# GitLab Protected branches API

**Canonical:** https://apis.io/apis/gitlab/gitlab-protected-branches-api/  
**Provider:** GitLab — https://apis.io/providers/gitlab/  
**Base URL:** https://gitlab.com/api/v4  
**Documentation:** https://docs.gitlab.com/api/rest/

GitLab Protected branches 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 Protected Branches. 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 manage [protected branches](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/project/repository/branches/protected/) for a project, and the [protected branch settings](https://docs.gitlab.com/user/project/repository/branches/protected/#in-a-group) that all projects in a group inherit. GitLab Premium and GitLab Ultimate support more granular protections for pushing to branches. Administrators can grant permission to modify and push to protected branches only to deploy keys, instead of specific users. > [!warning] > Group protected branch settings are restricted to top-level groups. They support only > [valid access levels](https://docs.gitlab.com/api/group_protected_branches/#valid-access-levels), > and cannot name individual users or groups.

## Operations (10)

| Method | Path | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| GET | `/api/v4/groups/{id}/protected_branches` | List all protected branches |
| POST | `/api/v4/groups/{id}/protected_branches` | Protect a repository branch |
| GET | `/api/v4/groups/{id}/protected_branches/{name}` | Retrieve a protected branch |
| PATCH | `/api/v4/groups/{id}/protected_branches/{name}` | Update a protected branch |
| DELETE | `/api/v4/groups/{id}/protected_branches/{name}` | Unprotect repository branches |
| GET | `/api/v4/projects/{id}/protected_branches` | List all protected branches |
| POST | `/api/v4/projects/{id}/protected_branches` | Protect repository branches |
| GET | `/api/v4/projects/{id}/protected_branches/{name}` | Retrieve a protected branch or wildcard protected branch |
| PATCH | `/api/v4/projects/{id}/protected_branches/{name}` | Update a protected branch |
| DELETE | `/api/v4/projects/{id}/protected_branches/{name}` | Unprotect repository branches |

## Machine-readable artifacts (65)

- **OpenAPI** — https://artifacts.apis.io/gitlab/openapi/gitlab-protected-branches-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

Protected Branches

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