Make Git branch and tag creations via UI (already a "Push events" activity) update "last_activity_at" API output

Everyone can contribute. Help move this issue forward while earning points, leveling up and collecting rewards.

• Close this issue

Release notes

Problem to solve

When users create branches or tags via the UI, it's considered a "Push event" in the UI (as expected) …

… but not in the last_activity_at nor updated_at API output:

$ curl https://gitlab.com/api/v4/projects/… \
  | jq . | rg 'updated_at|last_activity_at'
…
  "last_activity_at": "…12:56…",
  "updated_at":       "…12:56…"

The latter is somewhat expected, as documented to be "updated whenever the project record is changed in the database", which is not the case here. But it's rather clearly a case for last_activity_at.

Proposal

Align the projects API output with the UI, by making branch and tag creations update the project's "last_activity_at".

Intended users

• Sidney (Systems Administrator), in case of this requesting customer. They are on GitLab Dedicated and want to add an activity/update-based detection of projects that a custom script should then backup.
• Other consumers of any GET /projects or /events API endpoint, see also

Feature Usage Metrics

Does this feature require an audit event?

That could be additionally useful as well.