# Import Repositories

> Connect GitHub or GitLab once, see the repositories you own or are a member of, tick several and clone them in a single pass.

- Area: Desktop app
- Plans: All plans
- Last checked against the product: 2026-09-08
- Web page: https://agentsroom.dev/docs/import-repositories

## What it does

Connect GitHub or GitLab once, see the repositories you own or are a member of, tick several and clone them in a single pass. Each cloned repository becomes an AgentsRoom project with its folder already set, ready for agents. Everything runs locally: your machine talks to your git host directly, the token stays encrypted on disk, and the clones carry no trace of it.

## Where to find it

- Projects home > the add-project tile > **Import from GitHub** ("Connect GitHub") or **Import from GitLab** ("Connect GitLab").

## How to use it

1. **Connect GitHub**: click **Connect with GitHub CLI** when "An authenticated GitHub CLI was detected on this machine", or paste a **Personal access token** (the **Create a token** link opens the creation page; the `repo` scope is needed). For GitLab, set the **GitLab instance** host (your own domain for self-hosted), then **Connect with GitLab CLI** or a token with the `read_repository` scope.
2. **Your repositories** lists what you have access to (private, fork, archived badges, last update). Search, **Select all**, or tick the ones you want.
3. **Clone into**: choose the destination folder ("Each repository is cloned into its own subfolder here").
4. **Import N repositories**. Progress shows "Cloning <name> (2/5)". A repository already on disk is not cloned again ("already on disk, added to your projects").
5. **Import complete**: **Open <name>** the first project, or **Import more**. **Disconnect** removes the connection ("Connected as <login>").

## Settings

None. The connection is managed from the import screen.

## Agent tools (MCP)

None.

## Providers

All providers, no difference: the import creates projects; agents are added afterwards.

## Mobile

Not on the mobile companion: cloning happens on the desktop's disk.

## Limits

- GitHub.com and GitLab (gitlab.com or self-hosted). GitHub Enterprise is not supported yet; Bitbucket and Gitea are not implemented.
- Read scope only: the token is used to list and clone. Pushing later uses your normal git configuration.
- One project per repository, at the repository root; for a sub-folder of a monorepo, open that folder as a project after the clone.
- The token is stored encrypted with the operating system's secure storage on this machine and never uploaded.

## Common questions

- **Do I have to create a token?** Not if you already use the `gh` or `glab` CLI: one click reuses that session.
- **Does the clone contain my credentials?** No. Authentication is passed as a transient header on the clone command and never written into the repository's git config.
- **Can I still open a folder I cloned by hand?** Yes, the import is a shortcut; a manual clone works exactly as before.
- **Does AgentsRoom see my repository list?** No. The connection goes from your machine to your git host; no server round trip.

## Related

- [New Project](https://agentsroom.dev/docs/new-project.md): the other ways to add a project.
- [Projects Home](https://agentsroom.dev/docs/projects-home.md): where the imported projects appear.
- [Git Worktrees](https://agentsroom.dev/docs/worktrees.md): isolate parallel agent work once the project exists.