mr-conventions

You can enforce GitLab merge request conventions by applying standardized rules for branch naming, commit message formats, MR titles, and descriptions. This ensures consistency across draft MR creation, mandatory reviewer assignment, and CI pipeline checks.

A CI pipeline should check merge request protocols like mandatory reviewer assignment, squash merge settings, and thread resolution enforcement. It also validates that MR titles include task numbers and types, and verifies branch naming conventions before allowing any merge operations.

To standardize branch naming and commit messages for GitLab MRs, document team rules for naming conventions and message formats, then automatically reference them during MR creation. This includes reflecting OP task numbers and types in MR titles and maintaining consistent draft mode workflows.

Yes, GitLab MR workflows support mandatory reviewers and squash merges as enforceable conventions. Teams can configure code-review protocols to require specific reviewer assignments, enable squash merges by default, and automate post-merge branch cleanup to maintain repository hygiene.

Using Draft mode when creating a merge request in GitLab signals that work is still in progress, preventing premature merges. It enforces code-review etiquette by ensuring reviewers know the MR is not ready for final approval until all CI checks and title conventions are satisfied.

The best way to automate post-merge cleanup in a GitLab MR workflow is to enforce branch deletion rules and squash merge settings as part of your team conventions. This standardizes the process, reduces manual work, and keeps the repository clean after merge requests are completed.