---
title: Explore GitLab Repositories
description: "Prompts for exploring GitLab repositories with AI. Browse directory structure, read files, view recent commits, inspect changes, and check project activity using GitLab MCP Server."
head:
- - meta
- name: keywords
content: gitlab repository explorer, browse files, view commits, project structure, git history, code navigation
---
# Explore GitLab Repositories
Prompts to understand a project's structure, recent changes, and current state.
## Browse the Codebase
> "Show me the directory structure of `my-org/api`"
> "What's in the `src/services/` directory?"
> "Read the file `src/config.ts` in `my-org/api`"
::: code-group
```json [Root directory]
{
"action": "tree",
"project_id": "my-org/api",
"path": "",
"per_page": 50
}
```
```json [Subdirectory]
{
"action": "tree",
"project_id": "my-org/api",
"path": "src/services",
"per_page": 50
}
```
```json [File content]
{
"action": "content",
"project_id": "my-org/api",
"file_path": "src/config.ts"
}
```
:::
## View Recent Changes
> "Show me the last 10 commits in `my-org/api`"
> "What changed in the `main` branch this week?"
> "Who committed to `my-org/api` today?"
::: code-group
```json [Recent commits]
{
"action": "list",
"project_id": "my-org/api",
"per_page": 10
}
```
```json [Commits this week]
{
"action": "list",
"project_id": "my-org/api",
"since": "2025-01-20T00:00:00Z",
"per_page": 20
}
```
```json [Commits by author]
{
"action": "list",
"project_id": "my-org/api",
"author": "alice@example.com",
"per_page": 10
}
```
:::
## Inspect a Specific Commit
> "Show me the details of commit `abc1234` in `my-org/api`"
> "What files changed in the last commit?"
::: code-group
```json [Commit details]
{
"action": "get",
"project_id": "my-org/api",
"sha": "abc1234",
"stats": true
}
```
```json [Commit diff]
{
"action": "diff",
"project_id": "my-org/api",
"sha": "abc1234",
"per_page": 20
}
```
:::
## Check Project Activity
> "What happened in `my-org/api` recently?"
> "Show me push events from the last week"
::: code-group
```json [Project events]
{
"action": "project",
"project_id": "my-org/api",
"per_page": 20
}
```
```json [Push events only]
{
"action": "project",
"project_id": "my-org/api",
"event_action": "pushed",
"per_page": 20
}
```
:::
## Next Steps
- [Check Status](/prompts/quick-start/check-status) — Monitor MRs and pipelines
- [Code Review Prompts](/prompts/code-review/review-mr) — Start reviewing code
