---
title: "overlane repo protect"
description: "Protect a branch: pull requests, approvals and required checks"
---

> Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.overlane.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# overlane repo protect

{/* Generated by apps/docs/scripts/generate.mjs (CLI pages from the command registry in packages/cli). Do not edit; run `pnpm --filter @overlane/docs gen`. */}

Sets branch protection for a branch name or pattern such as release/**. Direct pushes are refused and changes go through a pull request that needs the approvals and the required checks (CI job names). Force-push is never allowed on a protected branch. Agents and people with write access set it; under supervised autonomy it waits for approval.

## Usage

```sh
overlane repo protect repo --branch PATTERN [--approvals N] [--check JOB...] [--merge-method METHOD...] [--dry-run]
```

## Arguments

| Argument | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `repo` | yes | The repository name or ID |

## Flags

| Flag | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `--branch` | string | yes |  | The branch or pattern to protect |
| `--approvals` | string | no |  | Approvals a pull request needs (default 1) |
| `--check` | string (repeatable) | no |  | A CI job that must pass; repeat for more |
| `--merge-method` | one of `merge`, `squash`, `rebase` | no |  | A merge method to allow; repeat for more (default: all) |
| `--dry-run` | boolean | no |  | Print the requests and file changes this command would make, then stop. Needs no credentials. |

## Examples

```sh
overlane repo protect app --branch main --approvals 1 --check unit_tests
overlane repo protect app --branch release/** --approvals 2 --dry-run
```

## Behavior

- Effect: `write` (changes local or hosted state).
- Needs credentials: yes. Uses the network: yes.
- Supports `--dry-run`: yes. Accepts `--force`: no.
- Machine-readable description: `overlane schema repo protect`.

## Result

With `--json` (the default when stdout is not a terminal) the command prints this JSON Schema's shape on stdout.

```json
{
  "anyOf": [
    {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "tenantId": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "maxLength": 128,
          "pattern": "^[A-Za-z0-9][A-Za-z0-9_.:-]*$",
          "description": "tenant identifier"
        },
        "repoId": {
          "type": "string",
          "pattern": "^repo_[A-Za-z0-9]{6,40}$"
        },
        "pattern": {
          "type": "string",
          "minLength": 1,
          "maxLength": 200
        },
        "requiredChecks": {
          "maxItems": 50,
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "string",
            "minLength": 1,
            "maxLength": 128
          }
        },
        "requiredApprovals": {
          "type": "integer",
          "minimum": 0,
          "maximum": 10
        },
        "allowForcePush": {
          "type": "boolean",
          "const": false
        },
        "allowedMergeMethods": {
          "minItems": 1,
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "string",
            "enum": [
              "merge",
              "squash",
              "rebase"
            ]
          }
        },
        "updatedAt": {
          "type": "string",
          "format": "date-time",
          "pattern": "^(?:(?:\\d\\d[2468][048]|\\d\\d[13579][26]|\\d\\d0[48]|[02468][048]00|[13579][26]00)-02-29|\\d{4}-(?:(?:0[13578]|1[02])-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|3[01])|(?:0[469]|11)-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|30)|(?:02)-(?:0[1-9]|1\\d|2[0-8])))T(?:(?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d:[0-5]\\d(?:\\.\\d+)?(?:Z|([+-](?:[01]\\d|2[0-3]):[0-5]\\d)))$"
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "tenantId",
        "repoId",
        "pattern",
        "requiredChecks",
        "requiredApprovals",
        "allowForcePush",
        "allowedMergeMethods",
        "updatedAt"
      ],
      "additionalProperties": false
    },
    {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "dryRun": {
          "type": "boolean",
          "const": true
        },
        "service": {
          "type": "string"
        },
        "requests": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "method": {
                "type": "string"
              },
              "path": {
                "type": "string"
              },
              "body": {},
              "note": {
                "type": "string"
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "method",
              "path"
            ],
            "additionalProperties": false
          }
        },
        "commands": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "string"
          }
        },
        "writes": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "object",
            "properties": {
              "path": {
                "type": "string"
              },
              "action": {
                "type": "string",
                "enum": [
                  "write",
                  "append",
                  "delete"
                ]
              },
              "description": {
                "type": "string"
              }
            },
            "required": [
              "path",
              "action",
              "description"
            ],
            "additionalProperties": false
          }
        },
        "notes": {
          "type": "array",
          "items": {
            "type": "string"
          }
        }
      },
      "required": [
        "dryRun",
        "requests",
        "commands",
        "writes",
        "notes"
      ],
      "additionalProperties": false
    }
  ]
}
```

See [exit codes](/cli/#exit-codes) for the status the process returns.

Source: https://docs.overlane.app/cli/repo-protect/index.mdx