Repository Rulesets

Advanced branch protection with granular control over commits, merges, and file restrictions.

Overview

Repository Rulesets extend basic branch protection with advanced rules for commit validation, file restrictions, and merge requirements. They provide more flexibility than traditional branch protection rules.

Key Advantages

  • Commit Validation — Require signed commits, validate message format
  • File Restrictions — Block specific paths, extensions, or large files
  • Dry-Run Mode — Test rules without enforcing them
  • Bypass Actors — Allow specific users/teams to bypass rules
  • Merge Queue — Automated batch merging

Creating Rulesets

From a Template

  1. Go to repository Settings → Rulesets
  2. Select a template (Basic, Standard, Strict, or Enterprise)
  3. Customize the name and branch patterns
  4. Click Create

Custom Ruleset

  1. Click Create Custom Ruleset
  2. Enter a name and description
  3. Choose enforcement mode
  4. Select target branches
  5. Configure rules
  6. Add bypass actors (optional)
  7. Click Save

Templates

Basic

Minimal protection for simple workflows.

  • Prevent branch/tag deletion
  • Block force pushes

Standard (Recommended)

Balanced protection for most teams.

  • Everything in Basic
  • Require 1 approving review
  • Require conversation resolution
  • Require Jasper review status check

Strict

Enhanced protection for critical branches.

  • Everything in Standard
  • Require 2 approving reviews
  • Require code owner approval
  • Require signed commits (GPG)
  • Require linear history
  • Dismiss stale reviews on push

Enterprise

Maximum protection with compliance features.

  • Everything in Strict
  • Require conventional commit messages
  • Additional branch coverage (main, release/*, hotfix/*)

Rule Types

Branch/Tag Restrictions

Rule Description
deletion Prevent deletion of branches/tags
non_fast_forward Block force pushes
creation Prevent creation of matching refs
update Block updates to matching refs

Pull Request Rules

Parameter Description
required_approving_review_count Number of approvals required (0-10)
dismiss_stale_reviews_on_push Dismiss approvals when new commits pushed
require_code_owner_review Require approval from code owners
require_last_push_approval Most recent pusher cannot approve
required_review_thread_resolution All conversations must be resolved

Commit Rules

Rule Description
required_signatures Require GPG-signed commits
required_linear_history Only squash/rebase merges allowed
commit_message_pattern Validate commit message format
commit_author_email_pattern Validate author email domain

Commit Message Pattern Example

Enforce Conventional Commits:

Pattern: ^(feat|fix|docs|style|refactor|test|chore)(\(.+\))?:.+
Example: feat(auth): add OAuth2 support

File Restrictions

Rule Description
file_path_restriction Block specific file paths
file_extension_restriction Block specific file types
max_file_size Limit file size (default: 10MB)
max_file_path_length Limit path length (1-256)

Advanced Rules

Rule Description
merge_queue Automatic batch merging
required_deployments Require deployment to environment
code_scanning Require code scanning pass
workflows Require specific Actions workflows

Enforcement Modes

Mode Description
Active Rules are enforced and block non-compliant actions
Evaluate Dry-run mode — violations logged but not blocked
Disabled Ruleset is inactive

Tip: Use "Evaluate" mode to test new rules before enforcing them. Check GitHub's ruleset insights to see what would be blocked.

GitHub Sync

Rulesets sync with GitHub automatically:

Push to GitHub

  1. Create or modify a ruleset in Jasper
  2. Click Sync to GitHub
  3. Ruleset is created/updated on GitHub

Import from GitHub

  1. Click Import from GitHub
  2. All GitHub rulesets are imported
  3. Externally created rulesets are marked accordingly

Sync Status

  • Synced — In sync with GitHub
  • Pending — Changes need to be synced
  • Error — Sync failed (check error message)

Bypass Actors

Allow specific users, teams, or apps to bypass rules:

  • Organization Admins — All org admins can bypass
  • Repository Admins — Repo admins can bypass
  • Specific Teams — Named teams can bypass
  • GitHub Apps — Specific apps can bypass

Rulesets vs Branch Protection

Feature Branch Protection Rulesets
Review requirements Yes Yes
Status checks Yes Yes
Force push blocking Yes Yes
Commit signatures No Yes
Commit message validation No Yes
File restrictions No Yes
Merge queue No Yes
Dry-run mode No Yes
Bypass actors Limited Yes

Best Practices

  • Start with Standard — Use the Standard template for most projects
  • Test with Evaluate — Use dry-run mode before enforcing
  • Use Conventional Commits — Consistent commit messages help automation
  • Require Signatures — GPG-signed commits verify author identity
  • Keep rulesets minimal — Don't add rules you won't enforce
GitHub Actions Sprint Intelligence