Connect to GitLab with PAT

Learn how to connect Builder Projects to your GitLab account using a Personal Access Token (PAT).

Once your account is connected, design visual changes within Builder and then share your AI assisted code with your team through a pull request.

PAT advantages

There are a few advantages to using PAT:

There are no token refresh issues since PATs don't expire automatically.
You can use group access tokens for repo-specific access without creating dedicated users.
Tokens can be rotated in Settings (settings icon > Edit PAT).

Note: Git clone may fail behind firewalls when using web containers.

For users behind firewalls: You may need to allowlist Builder's static IP address: 34.30.72.147.

To connect your GitLab account using a personal access token:

Create a dedicated GitLab user account with a clear name, like our-builder-bot.
Add the user to associated GitLab projects with the Maintainer role.
Within the dedicated user's account, go to User Settings, then Access Tokens, then Create personal access token.
Select the scopes detailed below for the access token.

✓ api - Full API access
✓ read_user - Read user information
✓ read_repository - Read repositories
✓ write_repository - Write to repositories

Finally, copy the generated PAT string for the next step of the process.

To connect your Builder account to GitLab with your dedicated user:

On the Projects page, click the down arrow next to Connect Repo.
Choose the GitLab option.
On the following screen, click on the link that says Connect to your own GitLab instance.
In the form field below, enter your GitLab Host URL, your Service Account Username, and your PAT.
Click Save Service Account.

You are now connected to GitLab from Builder. You are then prompted to choose a specific repository for your Project.

For more details on connecting to a specific repository, visit Connecting an existing repo.

Important considerations for on-premises deployments:

PR title and description updates run client-side, so wait for completion.
If using web containers and experiencing clone issues, use the Desktop app with local containers instead.

To create a net-new application from an existing repository:

Go to the Projects page in the Builder app.
Click the Connect Repo button, or click the down arrow to choose your version control platform.
Choose an application from your linked repositories.
Select Setup Visual Editing.
Typically, you should select Start Auto Setup. If your application lacks configuration files or has a particularly complicated setup process, select Use Manual Setup.
Builder's AI searches for configuration files and sets up your Project for you. In the meantime, add environment variables to the form on the right, if applicable.
Click the Finish Setup button. This brings you to Builder's Visual Editor where you can prompt the AI for changes to your Project.

Was this article helpful?