gitlab-org--gitlab-foss/doc/workflow/importing/import_projects_from_github.md

# Import your project from GitHub to GitLab

>**Note:**
In order to enable the GitHub import setting, you may also want to
enable the [GitHub integration][gh-import] in your GitLab instance. This
configuration is optional, you will be able import your GitHub repositories
with a Personal Access Token.

At its current state, GitHub importer can import:

- the repository description (introduced in GitLab 7.7)
- the git repository data (introduced in GitLab 7.7)
- the issues (introduced in GitLab 7.7)
- the pull requests (introduced in GitLab 8.4)
- the wiki pages (introduced in GitLab 8.4)
- the milestones (introduced in GitLab 8.7)
- the labels (introduced in GitLab 8.7)
- the release note descriptions (introduced in GitLab 8.12)

With GitLab 8.7+, references to pull requests and issues are preserved.

The importer page is visible when you [create a new project][new-project].
Click on the **GitHub** link and, if you are logged in via the GitHub
integration, you will be redirected to GitHub for permission to access your
projects. After accepting, you'll be automatically redirected to the importer.

If you are not using the GitHub integration, you can still perform a one-off
authorization with GitHub to access your projects.

Alternatively, you can also enter a GitHub Personal Access Token. Once you enter
your token, you'll be taken to the importer.

![New project page on GitLab](img/import_projects_from_github_new_project_page.png)

---

While at the GitHub importer page, you can see the import statuses of your
GitHub projects. Those that are being imported will show a _started_ status,
those already imported will be green, whereas those that are not yet imported
have an **Import** button on the right side of the table. If you want, you can
import all your GitHub projects in one go by hitting **Import all projects**
in the upper left corner.

![GitHub importer page](img/import_projects_from_github_importer.png)

---

The importer will create any new namespaces if they don't exist or in the
case the namespace is taken, the project will be imported on the user's
namespace.

### Note

When we are importing Issues/Pull Requests we try to find the original
author or assignee using the Github Id, but for this to work the original
author or assignee should had signed in before on the GitLab instance and
associated their GitHub account. If we don’t find the user in our database
we set the project creator (most of the times the current user that started
the import process) as the author but we keep a reference on the issue
about the original author.

[gh-import]: ../../integration/github.md "GitHub integration"
[ee-gh]: http://docs.gitlab.com/ee/integration/github.html "GitHub integration for GitLab EE"
[new-project]: ../../gitlab-basics/create-project.md "How to create a new project in GitLab"