Required status checks in Git - Step-by-Step Execution

Process Flow - Required status checks

Push code to branch

↓

Trigger CI/CD pipeline

↓

Run status checks

↓

All checks pass?

No→Block merge

Yes↓

Allow merge to main branch

This flow shows how pushing code triggers status checks, which must all pass before merging.

Execution Sample

Git

git push origin feature-branch
# CI runs tests
# Status checks: lint, build, test
# All pass
# Merge allowed

Push code triggers status checks; merge allowed only if all pass.

Process Table

Step	Action	Status Check	Result	Merge Allowed
1	Push code to feature-branch	N/A	N/A	No
2	CI runs lint check	Lint	Pass	No
3	CI runs build check	Build	Pass	No
4	CI runs test check	Test	Pass	No
5	All checks passed?	Lint, Build, Test	All Pass	Yes
6	Merge to main branch	N/A	N/A	Yes

💡 Merge allowed only after all required status checks pass

Status Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	Final
Lint Check	Pending	Pass	Pass	Pass	Pass
Build Check	Pending	Pending	Pass	Pass	Pass
Test Check	Pending	Pending	Pending	Pass	Pass
Merge Allowed	No	No	No	No	Yes

Key Moments - 2 Insights

Why can't the merge happen before all status checks pass?

Because the execution_table shows 'Merge Allowed' is 'No' until step 5 when all checks pass, ensuring code quality.

What happens if one status check fails?

The flow would stop at 'All checks passed?' with a 'No', blocking the merge as shown in the concept_flow.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table at step 3, what is the status of the Build check?

A Fail

B Pass

C Pending

D Skipped

💡 Hint

Check the 'Build Check' variable in variable_tracker after Step 3

At which step does the merge become allowed?

A Step 4

B Step 3

C Step 5

D Step 2

💡 Hint

Look at the 'Merge Allowed' column in execution_table

If the Test check failed at step 4, what would happen to the merge?

A Merge blocked

B Merge allowed anyway

C Merge delayed but allowed

D Merge allowed after manual override

💡 Hint

Refer to concept_flow where 'All checks pass?' No leads to 'Block merge'

Concept Snapshot

Required status checks ensure code quality before merging.
Push triggers CI checks like lint, build, test.
All must pass to allow merge.
If any fail, merge is blocked.
This protects main branch stability.

Full Transcript

When you push code to a branch, it triggers automated status checks such as linting, building, and testing. These checks run one after another. The system waits until all checks pass before allowing the code to be merged into the main branch. If any check fails, the merge is blocked to keep the main branch stable and error-free.