What is the main purpose of a milestone in a GitLab project?

The main purpose of a milestone in a GitLab project is to track issues and merge requests against a target date. Milestones are used as a way to organize work that needs to be completed within a specific time frame, typically associated with a project timeline or release schedule. By setting a milestone, teams can define a clear goal, allowing project members to visualize which tasks are to be completed by a certain date. This facilitates better project management by providing insights into progress, deadlines, and workload.

While collaboration, user role assignments, and repository management are important aspects of using GitLab, they do not capture the primary function of milestones. Enhancing collaboration through discussions and comments is a feature of many tools, but milestones specifically focus on timeframe and accountability for tasks. Assigning user roles pertains to permissions and access levels within the project but is not related to time tracking or goal setting. Creating personal copies of repositories relates to forking and doesn't impact how milestones are used within project management.