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Support for Experiment, Beta, and Generally Available features (PREMIUM ALL)

Some GitLab features are released as Experiment or Beta versions and are not fully supported. All other features are considered to be Generally Available (GA).

Experiment

Support is not provided for features listed as "Experimental" or "Alpha" or any similar designation. Issues regarding such features should be opened in the GitLab issue tracker. Teams should release features as GA from the start unless there are strong reasons to release them as Experiment or Beta versions first. All Experimental features that meet the review criteria must initiate Production Readiness Review and complete the experiment section in the readiness template.

Experimental features are:

  • Not ready for production use.
  • No support available.
  • May be unstable.
  • Can be removed at any time.
  • Data loss may occur.
  • Documentation may not exist or just be in a blog format.
  • Offer a way to opt-in with minimal friction. For example, needing to flip a feature flag is too much friction, but a group or project-level setting in the UI is not.
  • Link out to the GitLab Testing Agreement in the opt-in.
  • Documentation reflects that the feature is subject to the GitLab Testing Agreement.
  • UI reflects experiment status.
  • Feedback issue to engage with team.
  • UX not finalized, might be just quick action access.
  • Not announced in a release post.
  • Can be promoted in the user interface through discovery moments, if needed.

Beta

Commercially-reasonable efforts are made to provide limited support for features designated as "Beta," with the expectation that issues require extra time and assistance from development to troubleshoot. All Beta features that meet the review criteria must complete all sections up to and including the beta section in the readiness template by following the Production Readiness Review process.

Beta features are:

  • May not be ready for production use.
  • Support on a commercially-reasonable effort basis.
  • May be unstable.
  • Configuration and dependencies unlikely to change.
  • Features and functions unlikely to change. However, breaking changes may occur outside of major releases or with less notice than for Generally Available features.
  • Data loss not likely.
  • Documentation reflects Beta status.
  • User interface reflects Beta status.
  • User experience complete or near completion.
  • Behind a feature flag that is on by default.
  • Behind a toggle that is off by default.
  • Can be announced in a release post that reflects Beta status.
  • Can be promoted in the user interface through discovery moments, if needed.

Generally Available (GA)

Generally Available features that meet the review criteria must complete the Production Readiness Review and complete all sections up to and including the GA section in the readiness template.

GA features are:

  • Ready for production use at any scale.
  • Fully documented and supported.
  • User experience complete and in line with GitLab design standards.

Provide earlier access

Give users the ability to opt into experimental features when there is enough value. Where possible, release an experimental feature externally instead of only testing internally or waiting for the feature to be in a Beta state. Our mission is "everyone can contribute", and that is only possible if people outside the company can try a feature. We get higher quality (more diverse) feedback if people from different organizations try something. We've learned that keeping features internal only for extended periods of time slows us down unnecessarily. The experimental features are only shown when people/organizations opt-in to experiments, we are allowed to make mistakes here and literally experiment.

All features are in production

All features that are available on GitLab.com are considered "in production." Because all Experiment, Beta, and Generally Available features are available on GitLab.com, they are all considered to be in production.