CI blocking with overrides

When implementing CI checks that can block pull request merges, always provide clear override mechanisms for exceptional cases. Hard-failing CI checks should be strong signals to developers, but teams need escape hatches when legitimate exceptions arise.

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When implementing CI checks that can block pull request merges, always provide clear override mechanisms for exceptional cases. Hard-failing CI checks should be strong signals to developers, but teams need escape hatches when legitimate exceptions arise.

Design your CI workflows to fail meaningfully while maintaining flexibility:

# Example: PR size check with override capability
- name: Check PR size
  run: |
    if [ $TOTAL_CHANGES -gt 1000 ]; then
      echo "PR is too large ($TOTAL_CHANGES lines). Please split into smaller PRs."
      echo "To override, add 'override-size-check' label and provide justification."
      exit 1
    fi

Key considerations:

  • Use hard failures for important quality gates (like PR size limits) rather than just warnings
  • Document override procedures clearly (labels, manual approval, etc.)
  • Expect CI rules to evolve as teams learn what thresholds work best
  • Ensure overrides require justification to maintain accountability

This approach provides strong developer guidance while acknowledging that exceptional cases requiring large PRs will occasionally arise and need a path forward.

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