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# Deploy tokens

> - [Moved](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/199370) from **Settings > Repository** in GitLab 12.9.
> - [Added `write_registry` scope](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/22743) in GitLab 12.10.
> - [Moved](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/29280) from **Settings > CI/CD** in GitLab 12.10.1.
> - [Added package registry scopes](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/213566) in GitLab 13.0.

Deploy tokens allow you to download (`git clone`) or push and pull packages and
container registry images of a project without having a user and a password.

Deploy tokens can be managed by [maintainers only](../../permissions.md).

Deploy tokens cannot be used with the GitLab API.

Deploy tokens are tied to the project and stay enabled even when the user who created the token is removed from the project.

If you have a key pair, you might want to use [deploy keys](../../project/deploy_keys/index.md)
instead.

## Creating a Deploy token

You can create as many deploy tokens as you need from the settings of your
project. Alternatively, you can also create [group-scoped deploy tokens](#group-deploy-token).

1. Sign in to your GitLab account.
1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** or **Menu > Groups** to find your project or group.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > Repository**.
1. Expand **Deploy tokens**.
1. Choose a name, and optionally, an expiration date and username for the token.
1. Choose the [desired scopes](#limiting-scopes-of-a-deploy-token).
1. Select **Create deploy token**.

Save the deploy token somewhere safe. After you leave or refresh
the page, **you can't access it again**.

![Personal access tokens page](img/deploy_tokens_ui.png)

## Deploy token expiration

Deploy tokens expire at midnight UTC on the date you define.

## Revoking a deploy token

To revoke a deploy token:

1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** or **Menu > Groups** to find your project or group.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > Repository**.
1. Expand **Deploy tokens**.
1. In the **Active Deploy Tokens** section, by the token you want to revoke, select **Revoke**.

## Limiting scopes of a deploy token

Deploy tokens can be created with different scopes that allow various actions
that a given token can perform. The available scopes are depicted in the
following table along with GitLab version it was introduced in:

| Scope                    | Description | Introduced in GitLab Version |
|--------------------------|-------------|------------------------------|
| `read_repository`        | Allows read-access to the repository through `git clone` | -- |
| `read_registry`          | Allows read-access to [container registry](../../packages/container_registry/index.md) images if a project is private and authorization is required. | -- |
| `write_registry`         | Allows write-access (push) to [container registry](../../packages/container_registry/index.md). | 12.10 |
| `read_package_registry`  | Allows read access to the package registry. | 13.0 |
| `write_package_registry` | Allows write access to the package registry. | 13.0 |

## Deploy token custom username

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/29639) in GitLab 12.1.

The default username format is `gitlab+deploy-token-{n}`. Some tools or
platforms may not support this format; in this case you can specify a custom
username to be used when creating the deploy token.

## Usage

### Git clone a repository

To download a repository using a deploy token:

1. Create a deploy token with `read_repository` as a scope.
1. Take note of your `username` and `token`.
1. `git clone` the project using the deploy token:

   ```shell
   git clone https://<username>:<deploy_token>@gitlab.example.com/tanuki/awesome_project.git
   ```

Replace `<username>` and `<deploy_token>` with the proper values.

### Read Container Registry images

To read the container registry images, you must:

1. Create a deploy token with `read_registry` as a scope.
1. Take note of your `username` and `token`.
1. Sign in to the GitLab Container Registry using the deploy token:

```shell
docker login -u <username> -p <deploy_token> registry.example.com
```

Replace `<username>` and `<deploy_token>` with the proper values. You can now
pull images from your Container Registry.

### Push Container Registry images

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/22743) in GitLab 12.10.

To push the container registry images, you must:

1. Create a deploy token with `write_registry` as a scope.
1. Take note of your `username` and `token`.
1. Sign in to the GitLab Container Registry using the deploy token:

   ```shell
   docker login -u <username> -p <deploy_token> registry.example.com
   ```

Replace `<username>` and `<deploy_token>` with the proper values. You can now
push images to your Container Registry.

### Read or pull packages

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/213566) in GitLab 13.0.

To pull packages in the GitLab package registry, you must:

1. Create a deploy token with `read_package_registry` as a scope.
1. Take note of your `username` and `token`.
1. For the [package type of your choice](../../packages/index.md), follow the
   authentication instructions for deploy tokens.

Example request publishing a NuGet package using a deploy token:

```shell
nuget source Add -Name GitLab -Source "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/10/packages/nuget/index.json" -UserName deploy-token-username -Password 12345678asdf

nuget push mypkg.nupkg -Source GitLab
```

### Push or upload packages

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/213566) in GitLab 13.0.

To upload packages in the GitLab package registry, you must:

1. Create a deploy token with `write_package_registry` as a scope.
1. Take note of your `username` and `token`.
1. For the [package type of your choice](../../packages/index.md), follow the
   authentication instructions for deploy tokens.

### Group deploy token

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/21765) in GitLab 12.9.

A deploy token created at the group level can be used across all projects that
belong either to the specific group or to one of its subgroups.

<i class="fa fa-youtube-play youtube" aria-hidden="true"></i>
For an overview, see [Group Deploy Tokens](https://youtu.be/8kxTJvaD9ks).

The Group deploy tokens UI is now accessible under **Settings > Repository**,
not **Settings > CI/CD** as indicated in the video.

To use a group deploy token:

1. [Create](#creating-a-deploy-token) a deploy token for a group.
1. Use it the same way you use a project deploy token when
   [cloning a repository](#git-clone-a-repository).

The scopes applied to a group deploy token (such as `read_repository`)
apply consistently when cloning the repository of related projects.

### Pull images from the Dependency Proxy

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/280586) in GitLab 14.2.

To pull images from the Dependency Proxy, you must:

1. Create a group deploy token with both `read_registry` and `write_registry` scopes.
1. Take note of your `username` and `token`.
1. Follow the Dependency Proxy [authentication instructions](../../packages/dependency_proxy/index.md).

### GitLab deploy token

There's a special case when it comes to deploy tokens. If a user creates one
named `gitlab-deploy-token`, the username and token of the deploy token is
automatically exposed to the CI/CD jobs as CI/CD variables: `CI_DEPLOY_USER`
and `CI_DEPLOY_PASSWORD`, respectively.

After you create the token, you can sign in to the Container Registry by using
those variables:

```shell
docker login -u $CI_DEPLOY_USER -p $CI_DEPLOY_PASSWORD $CI_REGISTRY
```

NOTE:
The special handling for the `gitlab-deploy-token` deploy token is not
implemented for group deploy tokens. To make the group-level deploy token available for
CI/CD jobs, the `CI_DEPLOY_USER` and `CI_DEPLOY_PASSWORD` variables should be set under **Settings** to the name and token of the group deploy token respectively.

## Troubleshooting

### Group deploy tokens and LFS

A bug
[prevents Group Deploy Tokens from cloning LFS objects](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/235398).
If you receive `404 Not Found` errors and this error,
use a Project Deploy Token to work around the bug:

```plaintext
api error: Repository or object not found:
https://<URL-with-token>.git/info/lfs/objects/batch
Check that it exists and that you have proper access to it
```
