Branch Protection Essentials Cheat Sheet

Reviews, CI gating, and signed commits

Last Updated: November 21, 2025

Focus Areas

Focus
Require passing CI checks before merging
Enforce reviews, approvals, and signed commits

Commands & Queries

gh api /repos/org/repo/branches/main/protection
Inspect protection settings
gh api -X PUT /repos/org/repo/branches/main/protection --body '{"required_status_checks": {"contexts": ["ci"]}}'
Update protection
git config --global commit.gpgsign true
Sign commits by default

Summary

Protect mainline branches with CI, reviews, and trusted signers.

💡 Pro Tip: Require code-owner reviews for sensitive directories and enforce signed commits.
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