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What you’ll learn
  • How to register a GitLab OAuth Application on your own instance
  • How to connect TestDino to a self-managed GitLab via OAuth
  • How to link a project and enable MR and commit comments
  • How to manage, switch, or disconnect the self-managed connection
The GitLab Self-Managed integration connects TestDino to a GitLab instance hosted on internal infrastructure: on-prem, inside a private VPC, or on a corporate domain such as https://gitlab.mycompany.com. After connection, TestDino posts AI test summaries on merge requests and commits to the connected GitLab repository, and keeps MR state in sync with TestDino for Pull Request.

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What the Self-Managed Integration Does

  • Secure OAuth Login: connects TestDino to the GitLab instance securely, no personal access tokens or shared service accounts.
  • MR and Commit Comments: posts AI test summaries with test status metrics, failure summaries, and a link to the full report.
  • Automatic Token Refresh: refreshes OAuth tokens in the background so the session stays alive.

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Prerequisites

  • GitLab instance URL: reachable over HTTPS from TestDino’s servers with a valid TLS certificate, for example https://gitlab.mycompany.com.
  • Permission to create an Gitlab OAuth Application: a user-level app on the GitLab account, or a group or instance-level app registered by a GitLab admin.
  • Admin role in TestDino: only TestDino project admins can connect or disconnect integrations.
WarningTestDino connects to your GitLab over the public internet. If your GitLab sits behind a VPN or inside a private network, work with your infra team to expose it or allowlist TestDino’s outbound IP range. Self-signed TLS certificates are not supported today. Use a public or internal-CA-signed certificate.

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Connect TestDino with Self-Managed GitLab

Connection takes the following steps:
  • Register an OAuth Application on the GitLab instance
  • Provide GitLab Instance URL and OAuth Credentials to TestDino
  • Authorize TestDino via GitLab
  • Select the GitLab project to connect with TestDino

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1. Create a GitLab OAuth Application

In the self-managed GitLab, create a new OAuth application that TestDino uses to sign users in.
  1. Go to User Settings → Applications, or Admin Area → Applications for an instance-wide app.
GitLab User Settings Applications page with the Add new application button
  1. Click Add new application and fill in the fields below:
FieldValue
NameTestDino
Redirect URIhttps://app.testdino.com/api/integrations/gitlab/oauth/callback
ConfidentialChecked
Scopesapi, read_user, read_repository, write_repository
GitLab Add new application form with Name, Redirect URI, Confidential checkbox, and Scopes filled in
  1. Click Save application. GitLab shows two values: Application ID and Secret. Keep this page open for the next step.
GitLab OAuth application page highlighting the generated Application ID and Secret to copy
WarningThe Secret is shown only once. If you leave the page without copying it, you must regenerate it from the application page in GitLab.

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2. Enter GitLab URL and OAuth Credentials

  1. In TestDino, open the project and navigate to Project Settings → Integrations → GitLab.
  2. Click the Connect to GitLab button and choose Connect to GitLab Self-Managed from the dropdown (the option with the server icon).
TestDino GitLab card showing the Connect to GitLab button with dropdown expanded to show Cloud and Self-Managed options
  1. A dialog titled Connect GitLab Self-Managed opens. Fill in the three values and click Connect:
FieldWhat to enter
Instance URLBase URL of the GitLab instance, for example https://gitlab.mycompany.com. No trailing slash, no /api/v4.
Application IDThe Application ID from Step 1.
Application SecretThe Secret from Step 1.
Connect GitLab Self-Managed dialog with Instance URL, Application ID, and Application Secret fields filled in TestDino validates the URL and credentials, then redirects you to the GitLab login and authorization page.

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3. Authorize TestDino in your GitLab

  1. Sign in to GitLab if you are not already signed in.
  2. GitLab shows an Authorize TestDino consent screen listing the requested scopes.
  3. Click Authorize. You are redirected back to TestDino, and the GitLab card now shows Connected instance URL.
TestDino GitLab card in connected state showing username and self-managed instance URL
  1. On the same GitLab card, a Select GitLab Project picker appears.
  2. Start typing the project name or group. The list loads from your GitLab instance, not from gitlab.com.
  3. Pick the project this TestDino project should mirror.
Self-managed GitLab project picker showing projects from the connected instance
NoteThe picker lists only projects where the connecting user (the GitLab account that authorized TestDino via OAuth) has Developer access or above for projects. Lower-access projects for this user are hidden.
After a successful connection, the integration unlocks MR comments, commit summaries, and comment behavior overrides. Configure each below.

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Configure MR and Commit Comments

GitLab merge request comment showing AI-generated test summary with pass/fail counts and failure analysis When a Playwright run finishes, TestDino posts an AI-generated summary to the merge request or commit inside your self-managed GitLab. Open Project Settings → Integrations → GitLab → Comment Settings to control behavior.

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Default comment toggles

Two toggles control the global defaults:
  • Merge Request Comments: posts a summary to every MR on a mapped branch
  • Commit Comments: posts a summary to every commit on a mapped branch
These defaults apply to all environments unless overridden below.

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Per-environment overrides

The Environment Overrides table lists each environment configured in your project (e.g., PROD, DEV, MAIN, QA, STAGE). Each row shows:
ColumnWhat It Controls
EnvironmentThe environment name, configured in Environment Mapping
Branch PatternsWhich branches map to this environment (e.g., main, dev, staging)
MRToggle MR comments on or off for this environment
CommitsToggle commit comments on or off for this environment
Environment-level toggles override the global defaults. For example, you can enable MR comments globally but disable them on the DEV environment. Settings apply immediately with no redeploy and no reconnect. GitLab Settings panel showing MR and commit comment toggles with environment overrides table
TipEnvironment overrides are optional. If global toggles are on and no overrides are configured, TestDino posts comments on every MR and commit. Use overrides when you want different behavior per environment: for example, post both MR and commit summaries on PROD branches, but only MR summaries on feature branches.

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Security

ProtectionDetail
Encrypted secret storageYour OAuth Application Secret is encrypted at rest with AES-256-GCM before storage
Short-lived access tokensTokens are refreshed automatically. You never share a long-lived personal token with TestDino
Clean disconnectDisconnecting from TestDino wipes the stored OAuth tokens and application credentials
NoteTestDino stores only the metadata it needs to post comments (project ID, MR IDs, commit SHAs) plus encrypted OAuth tokens. It does not mirror your source code or CI artefacts.

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Manage the Connection

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View connection status

Project Settings → Integrations → GitLab displays the current connection state, the linked GitLab username, the instance URL, the selected GitLab project, and any recent comment errors.

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Disconnect

Click Disconnect on the GitLab card. TestDino performs two actions:
  1. Deletes the stored OAuth tokens and application credentials.
  2. Stops posting comments.
You can reconnect any time, to the same or a different instance.

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Troubleshooting

TestDino cannot resolve or connect to your instance URL.
  • Confirm the URL is correct, uses HTTPS, and is publicly reachable
  • Check with your infra team whether TestDino’s outbound traffic needs allowlisting
  • Confirm the TLS certificate is valid and signed by a public or internal CA
The Application ID or Secret is wrong, or the app was deleted on your GitLab.
  • Re-create the OAuth Application in GitLab (Step 1) and enter the new ID and Secret in TestDino
  • Make sure Confidential was checked when creating the app
The Redirect URI on the GitLab OAuth app does not match TestDino’s callback.
  • In your GitLab Application, set the Redirect URI to exactly https://app.testdino.com/api/integrations/gitlab/oauth/callback
  • No trailing slash, no extra path segments
The MR source branch does not match the branch test runs are reporting on, or comments are disabled.
  • Confirm test runs send the correct branch name in metadata
  • Verify the global comment toggle is enabled in Project Settings → Integrations → GitLab → Comment Settings
  • Check the connecting user still has Developer access or above on the GitLab project
The OAuth app secret was rotated on GitLab, or the connecting user lost repo access.
  • Reconnect via the TestDino UI using the current Application ID and Secret
Self-signed certificates are not supported today.
  • Use a valid public or internal-CA-signed certificate
  • Contact TestDino support about your environment if you need a different arrangement

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FAQ

No. One TestDino admin connects once per TestDino project. Every team member then benefits from comments automatically.
No. A user-owned application works. An instance-wide application is useful only if many TestDino projects across your org connect to the same GitLab and you want centralized management.
Yes. Each TestDino project chooses its own GitLab connection independently.
From TestDino, click Disconnect. From GitLab, go to User Settings → Applications → Authorized applications and revoke TestDino there as well.

GitLab Cloud Integration

Connect TestDino to gitlab.com via OAuth for MR comments and sync

Environment Mapping

Map branches to environments for targeted comment routing

Pull Requests Dashboard

View all MRs with test run results, trends, and AI insights

Node.js CLI

Install and configure the TestDino CLI