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DevOps / Gitlab Interview questions

Explain the lifecycle of a GitLab issue from creation to closure?

An issue moves through a fairly predictable path from being reported to being resolved, though the exact stops depend on how a team configures labels and boards.

flowchart TD A[Issue created] --> B[Triaged: labeled, assigned severity/type] B --> C[Added to a milestone or board column] C --> D[Assigned to a developer] D --> E[Work happens on a linked branch/MR] E --> F{MR merged?} F -->|Yes| G[Issue auto-closed via 'Closes #issue' in MR] F -->|No, still open| E G --> H[Issue closed, visible in milestone/board as done]

Creation starts the lifecycle: anyone with reporter access can open an issue, which by default lands untriaged. Triage adds labels (type, severity, team) and often a milestone, making it visible on the relevant Issue Board. Once picked up, a developer typically creates a branch and merge request linked to the issue, referencing it with a closing pattern like Closes #123 in the MR description.

When that merge request is merged, GitLab automatically transitions the linked issue to closed, no manual step required, which keeps the board and milestone burndown accurate without someone having to remember to close tickets by hand.

Referencing "Closes #123" in a merge request description does what?
Triage in the issue lifecycle typically involves:

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