Required checks

Required checks turn CI results into merge policy. Protected branches can require status checks, reviews, signed commits, linear history, or deployment approvals before code reaches main.

| Control | Purpose | |---------|---------| | Required status checks | Block merge on failing CI | | Review count | Human verification | | Environment rules | Gate production deploy |

Fast gates run on every PR; deeper suites may run on main or nightly while still blocking release. Emergency bypass needs audit trail and post-incident review.

On interviews: mapping checks to risk, optional versus required for critical paths, bypass procedures.

Common pitfalls: required checks that do not reflect real risk create bureaucracy; optional checks on critical paths let regressions through.

The trade-off is merge safety versus developer velocity and on-call toil when gates are mis-tuned.

Checklist:

• Require checks that protect main.
• Keep gate names understandable in PR UI.
• Document emergency bypass rules.
• Revisit required list when pipeline changes.