GitLab Notifications and Todos
GitLab sends notifications by email and keeps a personal To-Do list inside the app. Notifications tell you what happened. The To-Do list tells you what needs your action. Good settings keep your inbox calm and your task list useful.
Think of a front desk. Some visitors leave a message in your mailbox, and others hand you a sticky note that says "please reply today". Notifications work like the mailbox, and to-dos work like the sticky notes.
Two Systems Side by Side
EVENT HAPPENS (comment, assignment, pipeline failure)
│
┌─────┴───────────────┐
▼ ▼
NOTIFICATION TO-DO ITEM
Email to inbox Entry in the GitLab To-Do list
Controlled by Created when action is expected
your level setting Stays until you mark it done
Notification Levels
| Level | What You Receive |
|---|---|
| Global | Follows your account-wide default |
| Watch | Every activity in the project or group |
| Participate | Threads where you commented or got assigned |
| On mention | Only messages that include your @username |
| Disabled | Nothing |
| Custom | Events that you pick from a list |
Set Your Default Level
- Select your avatar and open Preferences.
- Choose Notifications.
- Pick a global level from the dropdown.
- Choose a default level for groups.
Most people settle on Participate as the global level. The setting delivers conversations that involve you and skips unrelated chatter.
Override the Level for One Project
Open the project page and select the bell icon near the top. Choose a level from the list. The project setting beats the global setting.
Global level: Participate Project "payments": Watch ← you care about every change here Project "old-demo": Disabled ← you ignore this project
Custom Events
Choose Custom to pick events one by one.
| Event | Useful For |
|---|---|
| New issue | Project managers who triage work |
| Merge request merged | Release managers |
| Failed pipeline | Developers who own the pipeline |
| Fixed pipeline | Teams that wait for a broken build to recover |
| New release | Users who follow a library |
Subscribe to One Issue or Merge Request
Every issue and merge request has a Notifications toggle in the right sidebar. Turn it on to follow a single conversation. Turn it off to leave a thread that no longer concerns you.
The To-Do List
Select the checkmark icon in the top bar to open the To-Do list. A number badge shows pending items.
Events That Create a To-Do
| Event | Example |
|---|---|
| Assignment | A teammate assigns an issue to you |
| Mention | Someone writes @riya in a comment |
| Review request | A teammate asks you to review a merge request |
| Failed pipeline | Your merge request pipeline fails |
| Approval request | A merge request needs your sign-off |
| Added manually | You select Add a to-do on an item |
Work Through Your List
- Open the To-Do list and read the newest items.
- Select an item to jump to the issue or merge request.
- Finish the action, such as a reply or a review.
- Select Mark as done on the item.
Use Mark all as done at the end of the day only when you reviewed every item.
Quick Actions for To-Dos
/todo Add this item to your To-Do list /done Mark the related to-do as done
Type either command in a comment box to manage a to-do without leaving the page.
Email Tips
- Create a mail filter that labels GitLab messages.
- Reply to a notification email to post a comment in the thread.
- Use a separate address for work notifications under Preferences → Notifications.
- Unsubscribe from busy threads with the link at the bottom of an email.
A Healthy Setup
Global: Participate Active projects: Watch (or Custom with failed pipelines) Large group: On mention Archived projects: Disabled Daily habit: Clear the To-Do list once in the morning and once in the afternoon
Teams that review the To-Do list on a schedule answer faster and miss fewer requests.