Note: Dependabot alert rules are currently in beta and are subject to change.
About Dependabot alert rules
Dependabot alert rules allow you to instruct Dependabot to automatically dismiss or reopen certain alerts, based on complex logic from a variety of contextual criteria.
There are two types of Dependabot alert rules:
- A GitHub-curated rule, called
Dismiss low impact alerts - User-created custom rules
The GitHub-curated rule, Dismiss low impact alerts, auto-dismisses certain types of vulnerabilities that are found in npm dependencies used in development. The rule has been curated to reduce false positives and reduce alert fatigue. The rule is enabled by default for public repositories and can be opted into for private repositories. However, you cannot modify GitHub-curated rules. For more information, see "Using GitHub-curated alert rules to prioritize Dependabot alerts."
With user-created custom rules, you can create your own rules to automatically dismiss or reopen alerts based on your own criteria, such as severity, package name, CWE, and more. For more information, see "Customizing alert rules to prioritize Dependabot alerts."
Whilst you may find it useful to auto-dismiss alerts, you can still reopen auto-dismissed alerts and filter to see which alerts have been auto-dismissed. For more information, see "Managing alerts that have been automatically dismissed by an alert rule."
Additionally, auto-dismissed alerts are still available for reporting and reviewing, and can be auto-reopened if the alert metadata changes, for example:
- If you change the scope of a dependency from development to production.
- If GitHub modifies certain metadata for the related advisory.
Auto-dismissed alerts are defined by the resolution:auto-dismiss close reason. Automatic dismissal activity is included in alert webhooks, REST and GraphQL APIs, and the audit log. For more information, see "Dependabot alerts" in the REST API documentation, and the "repository_vulnerability_alert" section in "Reviewing the audit log for your organization."