Features

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MergeGuard provides intelligent, policy-driven pull request automation through these key features:

Core Features

📋 Conditional Approvals

Require different reviewers based on files changed, PR size, author, labels, and more. Scale approval requirements dynamically.

🎯 Context-Aware Checks

Only require specific GitHub checks when relevant paths are modified. Reduce CI costs by skipping expensive tests when they're not needed.

🤖 Auto-Approval & Auto-Merge

Automatically approve and merge trusted changes like Dependabot patches or small documentation updates.

🔗 PR Dependencies

Enforce merge order for dependent or stacked PRs. Block merges until parent PRs are complete.

⚡ Priority-Based Rules

When multiple rules match, priority determines which applies. Create emergency fast-tracks that override defaults.

Quick Feature Comparison

Feature What It Does Use Case
Conditional Approvals Dynamic reviewer requirements “Require platform team for infra changes”
Context-Aware Checks Path-based required checks “Only run E2E tests for backend changes”
Auto-Approval Automatic PR approval “Auto-approve Dependabot patches”
Auto-Merge Automatic PR merging “Auto-merge when all requirements met”
PR Dependencies Enforce merge order “Block child PR until parent merges”
Priority Rules Override default policies “Emergency label bypasses standard reviews”

Detailed Documentation

Click any feature to see detailed examples, configuration options, and use cases:

Conditional Approvals →

Learn how to:

  • Require teams based on file paths
  • Scale approvals with PR size
  • Enforce specific user reviews
  • Combine approval requirements

Context-Aware Checks →

Learn how to:

  • Reduce CI costs with path-based checks
  • Skip tests for documentation changes
  • Require security scans for infrastructure
  • Configure check requirements

Auto-Approval & Auto-Merge →

Learn how to:

  • Auto-approve bot updates
  • Auto-merge when requirements are met
  • Configure merge methods
  • Handle check requirements

PR Dependencies →

Learn how to:

  • Use Depends on #123 syntax
  • Detect stacked PRs automatically
  • Block merges until parents complete
  • Manage dependency chains

Priority-Based Rules →

Learn how to:

  • Override default policies
  • Create emergency fast-tracks
  • Layer rules by specificity
  • Handle multiple matches

Example: Combining Features

Here’s a real-world configuration using multiple features together:

rules:
  # Priority 10: Emergency hotfix (overrides everything)
  - name: "Emergency hotfix"
    priority: 10
    if:
      labels: ["hotfix"]
    require:
      approvals: 1
      users: ["incident-commander"]
    action:
      autoMerge:
        requireChecks: true
        mergeMethod: "merge"

  # Priority 20: Infrastructure (critical path)
  - name: "Infrastructure changes"
    priority: 20
    if:
      paths: ["infra/**", ".github/workflows/**"]
    require:
      approvals: 2
      teams: ["platform-team", "security-team"]
      checks:
        - "terraform-validate"
        - "security-scan"

  # Priority 50: Backend (context-aware checks)
  - name: "Backend changes"
    priority: 50
    if:
      paths: ["src/backend/**"]
    require:
      approvals: 1
      checks:
        - "unit-tests"
        - "integration-tests"
        - "e2e-tests"

  # Priority 60: Docs (skip CI)
  - name: "Documentation only"
    priority: 60
    if:
      paths: ["docs/**"]
      excludePaths: ["src/**"]
    require:
      approvals: 1
    # No checks required!

  # Priority 70: Dependabot (auto-merge)
  - name: "Dependabot patches"
    priority: 70
    if:
      author: "dependabot[bot]"
      semverLevel: ["patch", "minor"]
    require:
      checks: ["security-scan"]
    action:
      autoApprove: true
      autoMerge:
        requireChecks: true
        mergeMethod: "squash"

  # Priority 100 (default): Everything else
  - name: "Default policy"
    require:
      approvals: 2

This configuration:

  • Emergency hotfixes bypass normal reviews (priority 10)
  • Infrastructure requires both teams (priority 20)
  • Backend runs full test suite (priority 50)
  • Docs skip expensive CI (priority 60)
  • Dependabot patches auto-merge (priority 70)
  • Everything else needs 2 approvals (priority 100)

Next Steps