Protected branches ensure that collaborators on your repository cannot make irrevocable changes to branches.

If you own a repository with multiple collaborators who create branches and open pull requests, you may need to enforce branch protections to keep your project and pull requests organized and safe.

Protected branches block several features of Git on a branch that a repository administrator chooses to protect. A protected branch:

  • Can't be force pushed
  • Can't be deleted
  • Can't have changes merged into it until required status checks pass
  • Can't be edited or have files uploaded to it from the web

If your repository belongs to an organization, you can restrict users or teams from pushing to a protected branch.