Hi everyone,
We’re currently using Bugbot with GitLab and have configured it to automatically review every push to a merge request. However, we’ve encountered a workflow issue that can lead to PRs being merged before Bugbot has had a chance to complete (or even start) its review.
Current Challenge
In some cases, Bugbot doesn’t automatically trigger after a push, even though automatic reviews are enabled. We sometimes have to manually comment:
bugbot run
to start the review.
Because of this, there’s currently nothing preventing developers from merging a merge request before Bugbot has completed its analysis.
Feature Request
It would be extremely useful if Bugbot could expose a review status to GitLab so that branch protection rules could require Bugbot to complete successfully before allowing a merge.
For example:
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Bugbot review starts automatically when a new commit is pushed.
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GitLab shows a pending Bugbot status check.
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The Merge button remains disabled while the review is running.
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Once Bugbot completes (regardless of whether it found issues), the status changes to completed and the merge is allowed.
This would make Bugbot behave similarly to CI pipelines or required status checks and would help ensure every merge request is reviewed consistently.
Questions
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Is there currently any supported way to prevent a GitLab merge until Bugbot has completed its review?
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Has anyone implemented a workaround using GitLab branch protection rules, CI pipelines, webhooks, or the GitLab API?
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Is Bugbot planning to expose a commit status/check that can be used as a required merge condition in the future?
We’re looking for a reliable way to ensure that every merge request receives a Bugbot review before it can be merged, without relying solely on developers remembering to wait.
I’d appreciate any suggestions, workarounds, or insights from the team or the community.
Thanks!