Auto-Merge
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
Auto-Merge is the 'merge it when it's ready' button. Enable it on a PR, and once all checks pass and approvals are in, it merges automatically. No sitting around refreshing the page waiting for CI. Set it and forget it. It's like scheduling a text to send later.
Real Talk
Auto-merge in GitHub automatically merges a pull request once all required branch protection rules are satisfied (status checks, reviews, etc.). Supports merge, squash, and rebase strategies. Works with merge queues for ordered merging.
When You'll Hear This
"Enable auto-merge on Dependabot PRs — if CI passes, just merge it." / "Auto-merge saved us from the 'I forgot to click merge after approval' problem."
Related Terms
Branch Protection
Branch Protection puts a velvet rope around your main branch. No force pushes, no direct commits, mandatory reviews, required CI checks.
Dependabot
Dependabot is GitHub's robot that checks your dependencies for updates and security vulnerabilities, then opens PRs to fix them.
Merge Queue
Two PRs both pass CI separately. Both merge. Main is now broken.
Status Checks
Status Checks are the green checkmarks (or red X marks) on your PR. They tell you if CI passed, if the code is safe, if the build works.