Is GitLab Down Right Now?
GitLab.com status guide — monitor CI/CD pipelines, repository access, shared runners, and API connectivity. Troubleshooting for development teams when GitLab is not working.
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GitLab Service Components
Push, pull, and clone operations
Job scheduling and runner assignment
REST and GraphQL API endpoints
GitLab-hosted CI execution capacity
Docker image storage per project
npm, Maven, PyPI package hosting
Static site hosting
gitlab.com browser interface
Troubleshooting Steps
1. Check status.gitlab.com
GitLab's status page tracks Web, API, Git, CI/CD, Container Registry, and Packages separately. A degradation in just one component can break your pipeline even if the site loads. Subscribe to email/Slack notifications for incidents.
2. Test SSH connectivity
Run ssh -T git@gitlab.com. A successful response: "Welcome to GitLab, @username!" If you get a timeout, the issue is network-level (firewall, ISP) rather than GitLab. Try port 443: ssh -T -p 443 git@altssh.gitlab.com.
3. Validate your CI/CD config
Go to CI/CD → Editor → Validate tab (or use the lint API endpoint) to check for YAML syntax errors before concluding GitLab is at fault. A single indentation error can fail all pipeline jobs.
4. Use GitLab API to check runner availability
If pipelines are stuck in pending, shared runners may be over capacity. Check: curl https://gitlab.com/api/v4/runners/all?type=instance_type (requires admin access). Alternatively, add a self-hosted runner to bypass shared runner queuing.
5. Rotate personal access tokens
If HTTPS push/pull operations fail with 401, your PAT may have expired. Go to Profile → Access Tokens to check expiry dates and create a new token. GitLab recommends tokens with short expiry for security.
GitLab.com vs GitHub vs Self-Hosted
| Feature | GitLab.com | GitHub | Self-hosted GitLab |
|---|---|---|---|
| Built-in CI/CD | ✅ Free tier included | ✅ GitHub Actions | ✅ Full control |
| Uptime SLA | 99.95% (Ultimate) | 99.9% (Enterprise) | You manage |
| Free Compute Minutes | 400/month | 2,000/month | Unlimited |
| Self-hosting Option | ✅ CE/EE available | ⚠️ Enterprise Server only | ✅ Full installation |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GitLab down right now?
To check if GitLab.com is down, visit status.gitlab.com for the official status page. GitLab provides detailed incident tracking across web, API, Git operations, CI/CD, and Container Registry. You can also check APIStatusCheck.com/is-gitlab-down or DownDetector for user reports. Signs GitLab is down: pushes returning 503, CI pipelines stuck in "pending" for hours, or the gitlab.com web UI timing out.
Why are my GitLab CI pipelines stuck or failing?
GitLab CI pipeline failures are typically caused by: (1) GitLab.com runner capacity — shared runners can queue during peak hours; check status.gitlab.com for runner availability, (2) Your .gitlab-ci.yml has a syntax error — validate at gitlab.com/ci/lint, (3) A job exceeds the timeout limit (default 60 minutes), (4) Docker image pull failures — check Docker Hub status and use a specific image tag instead of :latest, (5) Secret variables not set — check Settings > CI/CD > Variables, (6) Artifact size limits exceeded. Check the pipeline failure log for the specific error before assuming GitLab is down.
Why are GitLab git push or pull operations failing?
Git operation failures on GitLab can be caused by: (1) GitLab.com repository storage or Gitaly service outage — check status.gitlab.com, (2) SSH key not added to your account (for SSH remotes), (3) Personal access token expired (for HTTPS remotes), (4) Project push rules blocking the commit (check Project > Repository > Push Rules), (5) Repository size limit reached on free tier (5GB limit on GitLab.com free), (6) Protected branch rules preventing force push. Test SSH with: ssh -T git@gitlab.com
How is GitLab different from GitHub?
GitLab and GitHub are both Git hosting platforms but with key differences: GitLab includes built-in CI/CD (GitLab CI) in all plans including free, while GitHub Actions is also free but GitLab's CI is considered more mature for complex pipelines. GitLab is available as a self-hosted Community Edition (CE) and Enterprise Edition (EE), giving teams full control. GitLab has integrated DevSecOps features (SAST, DAST, dependency scanning) included in higher plans. GitHub has a larger open source community and more third-party integrations. Teams with complex CI/CD needs or compliance requirements often prefer GitLab; open source contributors often prefer GitHub.
What is GitLab's uptime SLA?
GitLab.com provides a 99.95% uptime SLA for paid Ultimate plans. Free and Premium plans follow a best-effort availability model. GitLab publishes historical uptime data and incident history at status.gitlab.com. Self-hosted GitLab CE/EE has no built-in SLA — uptime depends on your infrastructure. For teams with strict uptime requirements, consider GitLab Dedicated (single-tenant, private cloud) which offers a stronger SLA and dedicated support.