gitlab user map

GitLab API Field Mapping

This document describes how fields from the unauthenticated GitLab Users API response are mapped and normalized by UnauthScout.

It provides a clear reference for:

• Raw field visibility in unauthenticated requests
• Normalization decisions
• Schema alignment and auditability

Endpoint

GET [https://gitlab.com/api/v4/users?username={username}](https://gitlab.com/api/v4/users?username={username})

• Authentication: ❌ Not required
• Scope: Public user search results

Note: This endpoint returns an array. UnauthScout operates on the first matching entry.

Raw Response Overview

The unauthenticated GitLab user search endpoint returns a limited set of public fields. Several attributes available in authenticated contexts are intentionally absent.

UnauthScout normalizes only fields that are observable and stable in the unauthenticated response.

Field Mapping

Raw Field	Normalized Field	Included	Notes
id	id	✅	Stable unique identifier
username	username	✅	User handle
name	name	✅	Display name (nullable)
state	state	✅	Account state
web_url	web_url	✅	Public profile URL
avatar_url	—	❌	Cosmetic
public_email	—	❌	Empty in unauth context
locked	—	❌	Internal account state
created_at	—	❌	Not exposed without auth
bio	—	❌	Not available
location	—	❌	Not available

Normalization Logic

The current normalization is implemented as:

parse_gitlab_user() {
    jq '.[0] | {
        id,
        username,
        name,
        state,
        web_url
    }'
}

The parser explicitly selects the first matching user from the search result array.

Output Contract

The normalized output conforms to:

schemas/gitlab_user.json

This schema defines the authoritative structure of unauthenticated GitLab user output.

Rationale

Field selection follows these constraints:

• Fields must be returned by the unauthenticated endpoint
• Fields must be consistently present across users
• Fields must be OSINT-relevant
• Fields must avoid internal or cosmetic noise

Normalization intentionally excludes fields that:

• Require authentication
• Are unstable or sparsely populated
• Represent internal platform mechanics

Notes on Endpoint Limitations

• The /users?username= endpoint is a search, not a direct lookup
• Ambiguous usernames may return multiple results
• UnauthScout currently selects the first result only

These limitations are documented by design and may be addressed in future iterations.

Summary

This mapping documents the exact transformation from raw unauthenticated GitLab API data to a minimal, normalized representation suitable for OSINT workflows and automation.