09 — [Optional] Status badges & branch protection

Category: Polish · Priority: Low · Step: 10 · Optional

Show a green build badge in your README and require CI to pass before merging.

🎯 What is this task?

Two finishing touches that make a repo look (and behave) professional:

1. A status badge in your README that shows live CI status.
2. Branch protection that blocks merging a pull request until CI is green.

🤖 AI Prompt

"Give me the markdown for a GitHub Actions status badge for my workflow named CI, and explain how to make CI a required status check on the main branch."

📋 Step-by-step

Status badge — add to the top of README.md:

![CI](https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/actions/workflows/ci.yml/badge.svg)

Replace OWNER/REPO with your repo path. The badge turns green/red automatically.

Branch protection

Repo → Settings → Branches → Add branch ruleset (or classic protection rule) for main:

• ✅ Require a pull request before merging
• ✅ Require status checks to pass → select your test check
• ✅ Require branches to be up to date before merging

Now a red pipeline physically blocks the Merge button.

✅ Done when

• A CI badge shows in your README
• main requires the test check to pass before merge
• A failing PR cannot be merged