Since GitLab 9.0, when you click the `New branch` in an empty repository project, GitLab automatically creates the master branch, commits a blank `README.md` file to it and creates and redirects you to a new branch based on the issue title.
When you click the **Create branch** button in an empty
If your [project is already configured with a deployment service][project-services-doc] (e.g. Kubernetes), GitLab takes one step further and prompts you to set up [auto deploy][auto-deploy-doc] by helping you create a `.gitlab-ci.yml` file.
repository project, GitLab automatically creates a `master` branch, commits
a blank `README.md` file to it, and creates and redirects you to a new branch
based on the issue title.
If your [project is already configured with a deployment service](../integrations/project_services.md),
such as Kubernetes, GitLab takes one step further and prompts you to set up