How to Download from GitLab

Updated on:

May 12, 2026

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Use this interactive demo to learn how to clone and download a GitLab repository to your local machine.

Quick summary

This tutorial shows how to download a repository from GitLab using the git clone command via HTTPS. Follow the step-by-step walkthrough to copy any GitLab project to your local machine in minutes.

Steps

Log in to your GitLab account and select the repository you want to download or copy.
Click the Code button on the repository page.
Tap the clipboard icon to copy the repository URL for cloning or downloading.
On your computer, open the directory where you want to save the repository.
Open Command Prompt, ensuring Git is installed on your machine beforehand.
Paste the HTTPS URL you copied and run the command git clone <URL> to clone the repository to your local machine.
Enter your GitLab username and password when prompted.
Confirm the repository has been successfully downloaded to your local machine.

📌 Why this matters

Knowing how to download or clone a GitLab repository is a foundational skill for any developer working with version control. GitLab's git clone workflow lets teams quickly pull source code to a local environment, enabling faster onboarding, offline development, and streamlined collaboration. Using HTTPS cloning with Git ensures secure, authenticated access to both public and private repositories without additional tooling. This process is essential for anyone contributing to GitLab-hosted projects or setting up a local development environment from an existing codebase.

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