How to Clone a Repository from GitLab

Cloning a repository is the first step to start working with a project hosted on GitLab. It copies the entire repository — including all files, branches, and history — to your local machine so you can develop offline, commit changes, and push updates back to the remote repository.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to clone a GitLab repository quickly and easily using Git.

Table of Contents

🔍 What You Need Before Cloning

Git installed on your computer.
Check by running: git --version If not installed, download it from git-scm.com.
Access to the GitLab repository you want to clone. You may need to be added as a collaborator or have the correct permissions.
GitLab repository URL — the address of the repo you want to clone.

✅ Step 1: Get the Repository URL

Log in to your GitLab account.
Navigate to the project you want to clone.
Click the Clone button (usually at the top right or in the project overview).
Choose either:
- HTTPS URL (e.g., https://gitlab.com/username/repo.git)
- SSH URL (e.g., gi*@gi****.com:username/repo.git)

Tip: SSH is recommended if you have set up SSH keys for authentication; it’s more secure and convenient.

✅ Step 2: Clone the Repository Using Git

Open your terminal (Command Prompt, PowerShell, or Git Bash) and run:

git clone <repository-url>

Example using HTTPS:

git clone https://gitlab.com/username/repo.git

Example using SSH:

git clone gi*@gi****.com:username/repo.git

✅ Step 3: Verify the Clone

Once cloned, navigate into the repo folder:

cd repo

List files to confirm:

ls    # Or 'dir' on Windows

You now have a full copy of the repository and can start working!

🧠 Bonus: Set Up SSH Keys for GitLab (Optional but Recommended)

Using SSH keys eliminates the need to enter your username/password every time you push or pull.

Generate SSH key if you don’t have one:

ssh-keygen -t ed25519 -C "yo********@ex*****.com"

Copy the public key:

cat ~/.ssh/id_ed25519.pub

Add it to GitLab under User Settings > SSH Keys.

✅ Summary

Step	Command/Action
Get repo URL	Copy HTTPS or SSH URL from GitLab
Clone repo	`git clone <repository-url>`
Enter repo folder	`cd <repo>`
List files	`ls` (Mac/Linux) or `dir` (Windows)

🏁 Conclusion

Cloning a repository from GitLab is straightforward and essential for collaborating on projects. Whether you use HTTPS or SSH, Git provides an efficient way to get a local copy of remote repositories to begin coding.