1What FoxPlug reads from GitLab
These are the exact things it reads, and nothing else.
| What | The details it takes |
|---|---|
| Projects you are a member of | 10 most recently active projects, of which the first 5 are read: id, path with namespace, name, default branch |
| Releases | up to 5 per project: tag name, release name, description text (first 4,000 characters), released time |
| Merged merge requests | up to 10 per project, merged only: id, title, description text (first 3,800 characters), merged time |
| Commits on the default branch | up to 100 per project since the last check: message and date, grouped into one digest per project per UTC day, newest 10 days kept |
2Moments it finds, and what each becomes
A moment is one thing that happened in GitLab worth a second look. Each one is scored, then it becomes a post, a changelog entry, a thing to fix or an idea to email, or it is skipped.
A merge request is merged
The moment is titled like this: Merged: Add CSV export
You merge a merge request titled Add CSV export in a project called billing-app. FoxPlug keeps 'Merged: Add CSV export' with the merge request text as the description, scores it, and writes short posts if it scores 35 or more.
A release is published
The moment is titled like this: Released v2.0 of billing-app
You publish a release named v2.0 in billing-app. The moment is 'Released v2.0 of billing-app' and the release description becomes its body.
Commits land on the default branch
The moment is titled like this: 4 commits in billing-app on 2026-11-09
Four commits go to main in a day. FoxPlug makes one digest, titled '4 commits in billing-app on 2026-11-09' (a single commit reads '1 commit'), listing the distinct commit messages.
3How the brain uses it
The rules below are the ones that apply to GitLab. The same rules, with worked examples, are on the brain page.
- GitLab activity becomes updates, each scored with a story type and a one-line why it matters. How the brain decides
- Shipped at least 2 things in 30 days with at least 2 never announced: the highest scoring one becomes the say line (GitLab counts as a code source). How the brain decides
- Two or more dependency bumps, migrations or refactors in 14 days become the skip line. How the brain decides
- Under 35 no post is written; 35 and over gets short posts. How the brain decides
4Set up GitLab in a few steps
Access: personal access token (legacy token) with an optional instance address for self-hosted GitLab. What to give it: read api / read repository, read-only.
- Open gitlab.com/-/user settings/personal access tokens (on your own server, the same page on your own address).
- Open the Generate token dropdown and choose Legacy token.
- Name it (FoxPlug) and choose when it expires.
- Tick read api, the only scope needed.
- Generate the token, copy it (GitLab shows it once) and paste it into FoxPlug.
- Only if you run GitLab on your own server, also paste the server's address in the second box; on gitlab.com leave it empty.
5Limits worth knowing
Where it stops, so nothing surprises you.
- First 5 of the 10 most recently active projects are read.
- Releases 5 per project, merged merge requests 10 per project, commits 100 per project with 10 daily digests.
- Window is the time since the last check, or 7 days on the first read; on the first read only the single newest moment is kept.
- Tags are not read by this pull (only releases); a tag is only understood from a webhook-shaped event.
6What it never reads
Read only means read only, and the list below is what the code leaves alone.
- The contents or diffs of your files (only project, release, merge request and commit-list calls are made)
- Issues, pipelines or CI results (not read for GitLab)
- Anything it could change: read requests only, and the connect steps ask for read api alone
7How GitLab differs from the tools next to it
Like GitHub it reads releases, merged requests and a daily commit digest. Unlike GitHub it does not read closed issues or build runs (no GitLab equivalent is coded), and it supports a self-hosted instance address. Unlike Bitbucket it reads releases and filters commits server-side by date; Bitbucket has no releases read.
8Questions
Does it work with self-hosted GitLab?
Yes. Paste your server's address (starting with https://) in the optional instance box and the same reads go to your own server instead of gitlab.com.
What does the token need?
A personal access token with the read api scope. The connect steps ask for a Legacy token with that one box ticked.
Does FoxPlug read my GitLab issues or pipelines?
No. For GitLab it reads releases, merged merge requests and default-branch commit messages only.
When does it look at GitLab?
Only when you press Check for what's new. Nothing is fetched for your project on a timer.
FoxPlug reads this tool only when you press Check for what's new, and only to read. Plans and limits are on the pricing page. Questions: support.