RuleSet not allowing direct push to branch

[ronaldorcampos]

Discussion Type

Question

Discussion Content

Hi, I have a question about rulesets. In my projects i have setup branch rulesets instead of the classic branch protections and I was expecting same behavior, but while I can direct push in classic branch protection, I get rejected under the ruleset branch. Is this expected? Both ruleset and classic branch protection is setup with same rules.

[Leorev01]

Hey @rcampos87,
Yes, this is expected behaviour. Although rulesets and classic branch protections seem similar, they are not identical in how they enforce rules.

Key difference:

• Classic branch protection allows some exceptions (like admins can push directly if "Include administrators" is not checked).
• Branch rulesets apply rules more strictly and consistently, often blocking direct pushes even if you could push under classic protections.
• If you set up a ruleset, direct pushes may be rejected if the ruleset doesn’t explicitly allow them, regardless of admin status or previous exceptions.

For more details, see: Docs

If you want behaviour more like classic protection, you may need to adjust your ruleset to allow direct pushes for certain roles or users.

Hope this helps

[ronaldorcampos]

@Leorev01 thanks for the feedback. How could I allow direct push in rulesets?

[Leorev01]

@Leorev01 thanks for the feedback. How could I allow direct push in rulesets?

Go to the repo settings, then rules then rule sets and you can create a rule set to allow direct pushes.
Let me know if it works for you

[ronaldorcampos]

Ah, I realized I cant also push because I have Require a pull request before merging set. thanks.

[Leorev01]

You're welcome, happy you got it solved

[MenukaSankalpa]

Yes, this is expected behavior. GitHub branch protection rules and branch rulesets are related but not identical in how they enforce restrictions:

Classic Branch Protection

Some permissions, like “Allow direct pushes” for specific roles or users, can bypass certain protections.

Legacy protections may allow more flexibility for maintainers or admins depending on the repository settings.

Branch Rulesets

Rulesets are more strict and consistent across multiple branches or patterns.

If the ruleset explicitly prevents direct pushes, it will reject pushes even if you previously could push under classic protection.

This is by design: rulesets prioritize enforceable consistency and can override legacy allowances.

[mecodeatlas]

Thanks for posting in the GitHub Community, @rcampos87!

We're happy you're here. You are more likely to get a useful response if you are posting your question in the applicable category, the Discussions category is solely related to conversations around the GitHub product Discussions. This question should be in the Repositories category. I've gone ahead and moved it for you. Good luck!