New ruleset bypass type

GitHub repository rulesets now let you exempt specific actors (roles, teams, or GitHub Apps) from all enforced rules with a new exempt bypass type. Unlike a standard bypass (i.e., a “break glass” action that requires an explicit actor bypass and generates prominent audit signals), an exemption silently skips enforcement. Use it for trusted, high-volume automation or migration scenarios where friction would otherwise slow you down.

Key benefits

  • Reduce friction for trusted high-volume automation (migration or integration bots)
  • Speed large repository migrations without disabling rules
  • Match classic branch protection behavior for “Restrict who can push”

How to configure an exemption

  1. Open the repository ruleset.
  2. Find the actor in the “Bypass” list.
  3. Open the context menu by clicking …
  4. Select Exempt.

Context menu showing the Exempt option for a bypass entry

Accessible repository insights traffic and pulse pages

GitHub repository insights traffic and pulse pages now support more accessible graphs that screen readers can interpret. You can also switch graphs to a tabular view or download the underlying data as a CSV or PNG.

Note: On the traffic insights page, “Referring sites” and “Popular content” data is temporarily unavailable or may display inaccurately. We’re working to restore it.

Join the discussion in the GitHub Community.