Git Branch Strategy

Overview

Use this skill to design a branch model that teams can operate consistently under normal delivery and incident pressure.

Scope Boundaries

• Use this skill when the task matches the trigger condition described in description.
• Do not use this skill when the primary task falls outside this skill’s domain.

Shared References

• Existing governance baseline:
  • references/git-governance-contract.md
• Topology decision guidance:
  • references/branch-topology-decision-rules.md

Templates And Assets

• Branch policy template:
  • assets/branch-policy-template.md
• Branch protection checklist:
  • assets/branch-protection-checklist.md

Inputs To Gather

• Team size, collaboration style, and review ownership model.
• Release cadence, hotfix urgency expectations, and support windows.
• Branch protection capabilities on the hosting platform.
• Current pain points (long-lived drift, merge conflicts, unclear ownership).

Deliverables

• Branch class policy with creation/deletion/merge rules.
• Protection rules mapped to branch criticality.
• PR synchronization policy by branch class.
• Operational guidance for hotfix and release scenarios.

Workflow

1. Define branch classes and responsibilities in assets/branch-policy-template.md.
2. Choose topology using references/branch-topology-decision-rules.md.
3. Set merge direction and sync policy per branch class.
4. Configure protection and verify with assets/branch-protection-checklist.md.
5. Publish policy with concrete examples for common workflows.

Quality Standard

• Branch classes are minimal, non-overlapping, and enforceable.
• Protection rigor matches branch risk (stable > release > feature).
• Merge/sync strategy is clear enough to avoid per-PR ambiguity.
• Hotfix path is explicit and does not bypass traceability.

Failure Conditions

• Stop when branch classes overlap without clear operational purpose.
• Stop when policy requires controls that the hosting platform cannot enforce.
• Escalate when hotfix process conflicts with protection and compliance requirements.