Documentation AEM as a Cloud Service User Guide

Add external repositories in Cloud Manager

Last update: June 20, 2025

Applies to:
Experience Manager as a Cloud Service

CREATED FOR:

Admin
Developer

Learn how to add an external repository into Cloud Manager. Cloud Manager supports integration with GitHub Enterprise, GitLab, and Bitbucket repositories.

Customers can now also onboard their Azure DevOps Git repositories into Cloud Manager, with support for both modern Azure DevOps and legacy VSTS (Visual Studio Team Services) repositories.

For Edge Delivery Services users, the onboarded repository can be used to sync and deploy site code.
For AEM as a Cloud Service and Adobe Managed Services (AMS) users, the repository can be linked to both full-stack and frontend pipelines.

NOTE

The features described in this article are only available through the private beta program. For more details and to sign up for the private beta, see Bring Your Own Git.

Configure an external repository

Configuration of an external repository in Cloud Manager consists of the following steps:

Add an external repository to a selected program
Link a validated external repository to a pipeline
Configure a webhook to an external repository.

Add an external repository

NOTE

External repositories cannot be linked to Configuration pipelines.

Log into Cloud Manager at my.cloudmanager.adobe.com and select the appropriate organization.
On the My Programs console, select the program to which you want to link an external repository.
In the side menu, under Program, click Repositories.
Near the upper-right corner of the Repositories page, click Add Repository.
In the Add Repository dialog box, select Private Repository to link an external Git repository to your program.
In each respective field, provide the following details about your repository:
Field
Description
Repository Name
Required. An expressive name for your new repository.
Repository URL
Required. The URL of the repository.

If you are using a GitHub-hosted repository, the path must end in .git.
For example, https://github.com/org-name/repo-name.git (URL path is for illustration purposes only).

If you are using an external repository, it must use the following URL path format:
https://git-vendor-name.com/org-name/repo-name.git
or
https://self-hosted-domain/org-name/repo-name.git
And match your Git vendor.
Select Repository Type
Required. Select the repository type that you are using. If the repository URL path includes the Git vendor name, such as GitLab or Bitbucket, the repository type is already pre-selected for you.:

GitHub (GitHub Enterprise and the self-hosted version of GitHub)

GitLab (both gitlab.com and the self-hosted version of GitLab)

Bitbucket (only bitbucket.org - cloud version) is supported. The self-hosted version of Bitbucket was deprecated starting February 15, 2024.)

Azure DevOps (dev.azure.com)
Description
Optional. A detailed description of the repository.
Select Save to add the repository.

Now, provide an access token to validate ownership of the external repository.
In the Private Repository Ownership Validation dialog box, provide an access token to validate ownership of the external repository so you can access it, then click Validation.

Selecting an existing access token for a Bitbucket repository (for illustration only).

GitHub Enterprise

Access token option

Description

Use existing Access Token

If you have already provided a repository access token for your organization and have access to multiple repositories, you can select an existing token. Use the Token Name drop-down list to choose the token you want to apply to the repository. Otherwise, add a new access token.

Add new Access Token

In the Token Name text field, type a name for the access token you are creating.
Create a personal access token by following the instructions in the GitHub documentation.
Required permissions for the GitHub Enterprise Personal Access Token (PAT)
These permissions ensure that Cloud Manager can validate pull requests, manage commit status checks, and access necessary repo details.
When you generate the PAT in GitHub Enterprise, make sure it includes the following repository permissions:
- Pull request (read and write)
- Commit statuses (read and write)
- Repository metadata (read-only)

In the Access Token field, paste the token you just created.

After validation, the external repository is ready to use and link to a pipeline.

See also Manage Access Tokens.

GitLab

Access token option

Description

Use existing Access Token

If you have already provided a repository access token for your organization and have access to multiple repositories, you can select an existing token. Use the Token Name drop-down list to choose the token you want to apply to the repository. Otherwise, add a new access token.

Add new Access Token

In the Token Name text field, type a name for the access token you are creating.
Create a personal access token by following the instruction in the GitLab documentation.
Required permissions for the GitLab Personal Access Token (PAT)
These scopes allow Cloud Manager to access repository data and user information as needed for validation and webhook integration.
When you generate the PAT in GitLab, make sure it includes the following token scopes:
- api
- read_user

In the Access Token field, paste the token you just created.

After validation, the external repository is ready to use and link to a pipeline.

See also Manage Access Tokens.

Bitbucket

Access token option

Description

Use existing Access Token

If you have already provided a repository access token for your organization and have access to multiple repositories, you can select an existing token. Use the Token Name drop-down list to choose the token you want to apply to the repository. Otherwise, add a new access token.

Add new Access Token

In the Token Name text field, type a name for the access token you are creating.
Create a repository access token using the Bitbucket documentation.
Required permissions for the Bitbucket Personal Access Token (PAT)
These permissions allow Cloud Manager to access repository content, manage pull requests, and configure or react to webhook events.
When you create the app password in Bitbucket, make sure it includes the following required app password permissions:
- Repository (read-only)
- Pull requests (read and write)
- Webhooks (read and write)

In the Access Token field, paste the token you just created.

After validation, the external repository is ready to use and link to a pipeline.

See also Manage Access Tokens.

Azure DevOps

Access token option

Description

Use existing Access Token

If you have already provided a repository access token for your organization and have access to multiple repositories, you can select an existing token. Use the Token Name drop-down list to choose the token you want to apply to the repository. Otherwise, add a new access token.

Add new Access Token

In the Token Name text field, type a name for the access token you are creating.
Create a repository access token using the Azure DevOps documentation.
Required permissions for the Azure DevOps Personal Access Token (PAT).
These permissions allow Cloud Manager to access repository content, manage pull requests, and configure or react to webhook events.
When you create the app password in Azure DevOps, make sure it includes the following required app password permissions:
- Repository (read-only)

In the Access Token field, paste the token you just created.

After validation, the external repository is ready to use and link to a pipeline.

See also Manage Access Tokens.

Link a validated external repository to a pipeline

Add or edit a pipeline:
Add Non-Production Pipeline dialog box with selected repository and Git branch,
When adding or editing a pipeline, to specify the Source Code location for your new or existing pipeline, choose the external repository you want to use from the Repository drop-down list.
In the Git Branch drop-down list, select the branch as the source for the pipeline.
Click Save.

TIP

For details about managing repositories in Cloud Manager, see Cloud Manager Repositories.

Configure a webhook for an external repository

Cloud Manager lets you configure webhooks for external Git repositories that you have added. See Add an external repository. These webhooks permit Cloud Manager to receive events that are related to different actions within your Git vendor solution.

For example, webhooks allow Cloud Manager to trigger actions based on events such as the following:

Pull request (PR) creation – Initiates PR validation functionality.
Push events – Starts pipelines when the “On Git Commit” trigger is turned on (enabled).
Future comment-based actions – Allows workflows, such as direct deployment from a PR, to a Rapid Development Environment (RDE).

Webhook configuration is not required for repositories hosted on GitHub.com because Cloud Manager integrates directly through the GitHub app.

For all other external repositories that are onboarded with an access token – such as GitHub Enterprise, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps – webhook configuration is available and must be set up manually.

To configure a webhook for an external repository:

Log into Cloud Manager at my.cloudmanager.adobe.com and select the appropriate organization.
On the My Programs console, select the program to which you want to configure a webhook for an external Git repository.
In the upper-left corner of the page, click to reveal the left side menu.
In the left side menu, Under the Program heading, click Repositories.
On the Repositories page, using the Type column to guide you in your selection, locate the repository you want, then click next to it.
From the drop-down menu, click Config Webhook.
In the Config Webhook dialog box, do the following:
1. Next to the Webhook URL field, click .
  Paste the URL in a plain text file. The copied URL is required for your Git vendor’s Webhook settings.
2. Next to the Webhook Secret token/key field, click Generate, then click .
  Paste the secret in a plain text file. The copied secret is required for your Git vendor’s Webhook settings.
Click Close.
Navigate to your Git vendor solution (GitHub Enterpriser, GitLab, Bitbucket, or Azure DevOps).

All the details on the webhook configuration and the events that are required for each vendor are available in Add an external repository. Under step 8, see the tabbed table.
Locate the solution’s Webhook Settings section.
Paste the Webhook URL that you copied earlier into the URL text field.
1. Replace the api_key query parameter in the Webhook URL with your own real API key.
  
  To generate an API key, you must create an integration project in Adobe Developer Console. See Creating an API Integration Project for full details.
Paste the Webhook Secret that you copied earlier into the Secret (or Secret key, or Secret token) text field.
Configure the webhook to send the events that Cloud Manager requires. Use the following table to determine the correct events for your Git provider.

GitHub Enterprise

Required webhook events

These events allow Cloud Manager to respond to GitHub activity, such as pull request validation, push-based triggers for pipelines, or Edge Delivery Services code sync.
Make sure that the webhook is set up to trigger on the following required webhook events:

Pull requests
Pushes
Issue comments

GitLab

Required webhook events

These webhook events allow Cloud Manager to trigger pipelines when code is pushed or a merge request is submitted. They also track comments related to pull request validation (through note events).
Make sure that the webhook is set up to trigger on the following required webhook events

Push events
Merge request events
Note events

Bitbucket

Required webhook events

These events ensure that Cloud Manager can validate pull requests, respond to code pushes, and interact with comments for pipeline coordination.
Make sure that the webhook is set up to trigger on the following required webhook events

Pull request: Created
Pull request: Updated
Pull requests: Merged
Pull request: Comment
Repository: Push

Azure DevOps

Required webhook events

These events ensure that Cloud Manager can validate pull requests, respond to code pushes, and interact with comments for pipeline coordination.
Make sure that the webhook is set up to trigger on the following required webhook events

Repository: Push

Validation of pull requests with webhooks

After webhooks are correctly configured, Cloud Manager automatically triggers pipeline executions or PR validation checks for your repository.

The behavior varies depending on the Git provider that you use, as outlined below.

GitHub Enterprise

When the check is created, it appears like the following screenshot below. The key difference from GitHub.com is that GitHub.com uses a check-run, while GitHub Enterprise (using personal access tokens) generates a commit status:

Commit status to indicate PR validation process on GitHub Enterprise

GitLab

GitLab interactions rely solely on comments. When validation begins, a comment is added. When validation is complete (whether successful or failed), the initial comment is removed and replaced with a new comment containing validation results or error details.

When code quality validation is running:

When code quality validation is running

When cold quality validation is finished:

When cold quality validation is finished

When code quality validation fails with an error:

When code quality validation fails with an error

When the code quality validation fails due to customer issues:

When the code quality validation fails due to customer issues

Bitbucket

When code quality validation is running:

Status while code quality validation is running

Uses commit status for tracking PR validation progress. In the following case, the screenshot shows what happens when a code quality validation fails due to a customer issue. A comment is added with detailed error information, and a commit check is created, which shows the failure (visible on the right):

Pull request validation status for Bitbucket

Troubleshoot webhook issues

Ensure that the Webhook URL includes a valid API key.
Check that webhook events are correctly configured in your Git vendor settings.
If PR validation or pipeline triggers are not working, verify that the Webhook Secret is up to date in both Cloud Manager and your Git vendor.

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