Configure GitHub branch protection

Your default branch (main) is the project’s source of truth. Without protection, anyone with write access can rewrite its history or delete the branch entirely. This post explains why that matters and how to lock it down on GitHub.

Why protect the default branch

A force push rewrites the commit history of main. Other contributors’ local clones diverge from the remote, which causes conflicts and can silently lose work. CI audit trails tied to the overwritten commits vanish.

Deleting the branch removes the reference entirely: open pull requests close, and the repository has no defined default branch until someone restores it.

Both actions are hard to recover from, and blocking them requires no complex setup — normal workflows are unaffected.

Prerequisites

You need Admin or Owner permissions on the repository.

Protect the default branch against force pushes and deletion

1. Go to Settings → Rules → Rulesets.
2. Click New ruleset → New branch ruleset.
3. Enter the name Protect against force pushes and deletions.
4. Set Enforcement status to Active.
5. Under Target branches, add the default branch (Include default branch).
6. Check Restrict deletions.
7. Check Block force pushes.
8. Click Create.

Force pushes and deletions are now rejected. Normal pushes and PR merges continue to work.