Status Checks
ELI5 — The Vibe Check
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. Required status checks mean you literally cannot merge until everything passes. It's like a bouncer checking your ID before you enter the merge party.
Real Talk
Status checks in GitHub are external CI/CD results reported back to commits and pull requests via the Checks API or Status API. When configured as required in branch protection rules, PRs cannot be merged until all required checks pass.
When You'll Hear This
"All status checks must pass before merging — no exceptions." / "The linting status check caught a formatting issue before review."
Related Terms
Auto-Merge
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.
Branch Protection
Branch Protection puts a velvet rope around your main branch. No force pushes, no direct commits, mandatory reviews, required CI checks.
GitHub Actions
GitHub Actions is CI/CD built right into GitHub. Push code, run tests, deploy — all from YAML files in your repo. No separate CI server needed.