---
stage: Create
group: Code Review
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
description: Documentation for the REST API for draft notes (unpublished comments) in GitLab.
title: Draft Notes API
---

{{< details >}}

- Tier: Free, Premium, Ultimate
- Offering: GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed, GitLab Dedicated

{{< /details >}}

Use this API to manage draft notes. These notes are pending, unpublished comments on merge requests.
Draft notes can start a discussion, or continue an existing discussion as a reply.

Before publishing, draft notes are visible only to the author.

## List all merge request draft notes

Gets a list of all draft notes for a single merge request.

```plaintext
GET /projects/:id/merge_requests/:merge_request_iid/draft_notes
```

| Attribute           | Type              | Required | Description |
|---------------------|-------------------|----------|-------------|
| `id`                | integer or string | yes      | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](rest/_index.md#namespaced-paths) |
| `merge_request_iid` | integer           | yes      | The IID of a project merge request |

```json
[
  {
    "id": 5,
    "author_id": 23,
    "merge_request_id": 11,
    "resolve_discussion": false,
    "discussion_id": null,
    "note": "Example title",
    "commit_id": null,
    "line_code": null,
    "position": {
      "base_sha": null,
      "start_sha": null,
      "head_sha": null,
      "old_path": null,
      "new_path": null,
      "position_type": "text",
      "old_line": null,
      "new_line": null,
      "line_range": null
    }
  }
]
```

```shell
curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/14/merge_requests/11/draft_notes"
```

## Get a single draft note

Returns a single draft note for a given merge request.

```plaintext
GET /projects/:id/merge_requests/:merge_request_iid/draft_notes/:draft_note_id
```

| Attribute           | Type              | Required | Description |
|---------------------|-------------------|----------|-------------|
| `id`                | integer or string | yes      | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](rest/_index.md#namespaced-paths). |
| `draft_note_id`     | integer           | yes      | The ID of a draft note. |
| `merge_request_iid` | integer           | yes      | The IID of a project merge request. |

```json
[
  {
    "id": 5,
    "author_id": 23,
    "merge_request_id": 11,
    "resolve_discussion": false,
    "discussion_id": null,
    "note": "Example title",
    "commit_id": null,
    "line_code": null,
    "position": {
      "base_sha": null,
      "start_sha": null,
      "head_sha": null,
      "old_path": null,
      "new_path": null,
      "position_type": "text",
      "old_line": null,
      "new_line": null,
      "line_range": null
    }
  }
]
```

```shell
curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/14/merge_requests/11/draft_notes/5"
```

## Create a draft note

Create a draft note for a given merge request.

```plaintext
POST /projects/:id/merge_requests/:merge_request_iid/draft_notes
```

| Attribute                   | Type              | Required    | Description           |
| ----------------------------| ----------------- | ----------- | --------------------- |
| `id`                        | integer or string | yes         | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](rest/_index.md#namespaced-paths). |
| `merge_request_iid`         | integer           | yes         | The IID of a project merge request. |
| `note`                      | string            | yes         | The content of a note. |
| `commit_id`                 | string            | no          | The SHA of a commit to associate the draft note to. |
| `in_reply_to_discussion_id` | string            | no          | The ID of a discussion the draft note replies to. |
| `resolve_discussion`        | boolean           | no          | The associated discussion should be resolved. |
| `position[base_sha]`        | string            | yes         | Base commit SHA in the source branch. |
| `position[head_sha]`        | string            | yes         | SHA referencing HEAD of this merge request. |
| `position[start_sha]`       | string            | yes         | SHA referencing commit in target branch. |
| `position[new_path]`        | string            | yes (if the position type is `text`) | File path after change. |
| `position[old_path]`        | string            | yes (if the position type is `text`) | File path before change. |
| `position[position_type]`   | string            | yes         | Type of the position reference. Allowed values: `text`, `image`, or `file`. `file` [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/423046) in GitLab 16.4. |
| `position`                  | hash              | no          | Position when creating a diff note. |
| `position[new_line]`        | integer           | no          | For `text` diff notes, the line number after change. |
| `position[old_line]`        | integer           | no          | For `text` diff notes, the line number before change. |
| `position[line_range]`      | hash              | no          | Line range for a multi-line diff note. |
| `position[width]`           | integer           | no          | For `image` diff notes, width of the image. |
| `position[height]`          | integer           | no          | For `image` diff notes, height of the image. |
| `position[x]`               | float             | no          | For `image` diff notes, X coordinate. |
| `position[y]`               | float             | no          | For `image` diff notes, Y coordinate. |

```shell
curl --request POST --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/14/merge_requests/11/draft_notes?note=note"
```

## Modify existing draft note

Modify a draft note for a given merge request.

```plaintext
PUT /projects/:id/merge_requests/:merge_request_iid/draft_notes/:draft_note_id
```

| Attribute                 | Type              | Required | Description |
| ------------------------- | ----------------- | -------- | ----------- |
| `id`                      | integer or string | yes      | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](rest/_index.md#namespaced-paths). |
| `draft_note_id`           | integer           | yes      | The ID of a draft note. |
| `merge_request_iid`       | integer           | yes      | The IID of a project merge request. |
| `note`                    | string            | no       | The content of a note. |
| `position[base_sha]`      | string            | yes      | Base commit SHA in the source branch. |
| `position[head_sha]`      | string            | yes      | SHA referencing HEAD of this merge request. |
| `position[start_sha]`     | string            | yes      | SHA referencing commit in target branch. |
| `position[new_path]`      | string            | yes (if the position type is `text`) | File path after change. |
| `position[old_path]`      | string            | yes (if the position type is `text`) | File path before change. |
| `position[position_type]` | string            | yes      | Type of the position reference. Allowed values: `text`, `image` or `file`. `file` [introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/423046) in GitLab 16.4. |
| `position`                | hash              | no       | Position when creating a diff note. |
| `position[new_line]`      | integer           | no       | For `text` diff notes, the line number after change. |
| `position[old_line]`      | integer           | no       | For `text` diff notes, the line number before change. |
| `position[line_range]`    | hash              | no       | Line range for a multi-line diff note. |
| `position[width]`         | integer           | no       | For `image` diff notes, width of the image. |
| `position[height]`        | integer           | no       | For `image` diff notes, height of the image. |
| `position[x]`             | float             | no       | For `image` diff notes, X coordinate. |
| `position[y]`             | float             | no       | For `image` diff notes, Y coordinate. |

```shell
curl --request PUT \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/14/merge_requests/11/draft_notes/5"
```

## Delete a draft note

Deletes an existing draft note for a given merge request.

```plaintext
DELETE /projects/:id/merge_requests/:merge_request_iid/draft_notes/:draft_note_id
```

| Attribute           | Type              | Required | Description |
|---------------------|-------------------|----------|-------------|
| `draft_note_id`     | integer           | yes      | The ID of a draft note. |
| `id`                | integer or string | yes      | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](rest/_index.md#namespaced-paths). |
| `merge_request_iid` | integer           | yes      | The IID of a project merge request. |

```shell
curl --request DELETE \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/14/merge_requests/11/draft_notes/5"
```

## Publish a draft note

Publishes an existing draft note for a given merge request.

```plaintext
PUT /projects/:id/merge_requests/:merge_request_iid/draft_notes/:draft_note_id/publish
```

| Attribute           | Type              | Required | Description |
|---------------------|-------------------|----------|-------------|
| `draft_note_id`     | integer           | yes      | The ID of a draft note. |
| `id`                | integer or string | yes      | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](rest/_index.md#namespaced-paths). |
| `merge_request_iid` | integer           | yes      | The IID of a project merge request. |

```shell
curl --request PUT \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/14/merge_requests/11/draft_notes/5/publish"
```

## Publish all pending draft notes

Bulk publishes all existing draft notes for a given merge request that belong to the user.

```plaintext
POST /projects/:id/merge_requests/:merge_request_iid/draft_notes/bulk_publish
```

| Attribute           | Type              | Required | Description |
|---------------------|-------------------|----------|-------------|
| `id`                | integer or string | yes      | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](rest/_index.md#namespaced-paths). |
| `merge_request_iid` | integer           | yes      | The IID of a project merge request. |

```shell
curl --request POST \
  --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/14/merge_requests/11/draft_notes/bulk_publish"
```