Design and implement permissions and roles in GitHub

Managing permissions and roles in GitHub is essential for securing your codebase and enabling smooth collaboration. In this guide, you’ll learn how to structure your teams, invite collaborators, enforce branch policies, and leverage GitHub’s security features to protect your repositories.

1. Define your team structure

Start by mapping out which team members need access and the level of control they require. Common permission levels in GitHub include:

Use this table to decide who should be in each role, balancing security with productivity.

2. Add collaborators

To grant someone access to your repository:

1. Go to Settings (click the gear icon).
2. Select Collaborators under “Access”.
3. Click Add people, enter the GitHub username, and send the invitation.

They’ll receive a notification and must accept the invite to gain access.

Once accepted, the new collaborator appears under Manage access.

3. Configure repository settings

Under Settings > Options, customize repository behavior:

• Require sign-off on web commits
  Enforce contributor attestations for commits made via the web editor.
• Wikis
  Enable or disable wikis for collaborative documentation.
• Merge options
  Under Settings > Pull requests, choose to allow or block:
  • Merge commits
  • Squash merging
  • Rebase merging

4. Create branch protection rules

Branch protection rules help enforce workflow policies. To set up:

1. Navigate to Settings > Branch rulesets.
2. Click New branch rule set, name it (e.g., ReleaseProtection).
3. Set Enforcement status to Enabled.
4. Define a Bypass list for organization or repository admins, if needed.
5. Specify target branches by name or pattern (e.g., main, release/*).

Within your rule set, enforce one or more of the following:

• Restrict branch creation, updates, and deletions
• Require a linear commit history
• Enforce successful CI builds or staging deployments
• Require signed commits
• Enforce pull request reviews (up to 10 required approvals)
• Require conversation resolution before merging
• Block force pushes
• Require status checks (e.g., code scanning results)

5. Enable code security features

GitHub’s built-in security tools let you detect and fix vulnerabilities early. In Settings > Code security, toggle on:

• Dependabot alerts
• Dependabot security updates
• Group security updates

6. Set up a security policy and Dependabot alerts

1. Under Security > Security policy, click Start setup to create a SECURITY.md file.
   • Supported versions: List the versions you actively maintain.
   • Reporting guidelines: Explain how to disclose vulnerabilities, expected response times, and required information.
2. Go to Security > Dependabot alerts and enable alerts to get real-time notifications.

7. The Danger Zone

At the bottom of Settings > Collaborators, you’ll find critical operations under the Danger Zone:

• Change repository visibility (private ↔ public)
• Disable branch protection rules
• Transfer repository ownership
• Archive or delete the repository

Conclusion

These best practices apply to standard GitHub repositories, though GitHub Enterprise Cloud offers advanced controls. For deeper dives, visit GitHub’s official documentation.

Links and References

• GitHub Permissions and Access
• Branch Protection Rules
• Dependabot Documentation
• Security Policy Guidance