Use CodeCrab to review merge requests on gitlab.com with the same findings, skills and investigation workflows as GitHub PRs.
Requirements and support
- A project on gitlab.com and a local clone you can read. Subgroups are supported.
- GitLab CLI (glab), signed in to an account with access to the project.
- One ready AI agent: Claude Code, Cursor CLI or Codex CLI.
Install and sign in
On macOS or Linux, choose the package or binary for your operating system from the official GitLab CLI installation instructions.
On Windows, install glab with winget.
winget install --id GLab.GLabSign in to gitlab.com, then verify the session. Follow the browser login offered by glab.
glab auth login --hostname gitlab.com
glab auth status --hostname gitlab.comAfter adding a GitLab repository, the badge panel also shows glab. If it is still red after installation, restart CodeCrab and click Re-check.
Connect a project
- If needed, clone the GitLab project locally before adding it.
- Open Settings → Repositories.
- Use Find repositories and select a GitLab clone, or paste the project URL manually.
- Choose the Local clone folder with Browse… or Auto-find, then Add repository.
A project can live inside subgroups. Use its full URL, not a GitHub-style owner/repo shortcut.
git clone https://gitlab.com/acme/platform/web-app.gitFor example, enter https://gitlab.com/acme/platform/web-app as the repository URL. The project has a GitLab tag. On GitLab means verified; Not verified can appear while glab is not ready. Use the pencil icon to correct a local path.
Review merge requests
- Select the GitLab repository and open PR code review. Merge requests appear in the same review workflow as PRs.
- Choose an MR under Assigned to Me or Team PRs, then Start Review.
- Read inline findings, the verdict and suggested comments. Copy a comment and paste it into GitLab yourself.
- Use Investigate Finding for a deep dive; My PRs handles reviewer feedback on your own merge requests.
Skills and Pre-push work with GitLab too. Reviews and deep dives use the same isolated copies as GitHub PRs.
Read-only boundaries
CodeCrab only permits read-only glab operations: mr list, mr view, mr diff, auth status and glab api GET requests. Other operations are refused before execution. It never comments, approves, merges or changes the project.
When Claude Code reviews a GitLab repository, write commands for glab, gh and git are also blocked inside the agent. CodeCrab checks afterwards that your clone’s branch and files were not changed.