> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/3749) in GitLab 8.8.
If you're unable to use [OAuth2](../../api/oauth2.md), you can use a personal access token to authenticate with the [GitLab API][api].
If you're unable to use [OAuth2](../../api/oauth2.md), you can use a personal access token to authenticate with the [GitLab API](../../api/README.md#personal-access-tokens).
You can also use personal access tokens with Git to authenticate over HTTP or SSH. Personal access tokens are required when [Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)][2fa] is enabled. In both cases, you can authenticate with a token in place of your password.
You can also use personal access tokens with Git to authenticate over HTTP or SSH. Personal access tokens are required when [Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)](../account/two_factor_authentication.md) is enabled. In both cases, you can authenticate with a token in place of your password.
Personal access tokens expire on the date you define, at midnight UTC.
| `read_user` | [GitLab 8.15](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/5951) | Allows access to the read-only endpoints under `/users`. Essentially, any of the `GET` requests in the [Users API][users] are allowed. |
| `read_user` | [GitLab 8.15](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/5951) | Allows access to the read-only endpoints under `/users`. Essentially, any of the `GET` requests in the [Users API](../../api/users.md) are allowed. |
| `api` | [GitLab 8.15](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/5951) | Grants complete read/write access to the API, including all groups and projects, the container registry, and the package registry. |
| `read_api` | [GitLab 12.10](https://https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/28944) | Grants read access to the API, including all groups and projects, the container registry, and the package registry. |
| `read_registry` | [GitLab 9.3](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/11845) | Allows to read (pull) [container registry] images if a project is private and authorization is required. |
| `read_api` | [GitLab 12.10](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/28944) | Grants read access to the API, including all groups and projects, the container registry, and the package registry. |
| `read_registry` | [GitLab 9.3](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/11845) | Allows to read (pull) [container registry](../packages/container_registry/index.md) images if a project is private and authorization is required. |
| `sudo` | [GitLab 10.2](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/14838) | Allows performing API actions as any user in the system (if the authenticated user is an admin). |
| `read_repository` | [GitLab 10.7](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/17894) | Allows read-only access (pull) to the repository through `git clone`. |
| `write_repository` | [GitLab 11.11](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-foss/-/merge_requests/26021) | Allows read-write access (pull, push) to the repository through `git clone`. Required for accessing Git repositories over HTTP when 2FA is enabled. |
