Access Management and CODEOWNERS

GitHub’s CODEOWNERS feature allows teams to define individuals or teams responsible for specific files or directories in a repository. When changes are made to these areas, designated owners are automatically requested for review.

1. What is CODEOWNERS?

The CODEOWNERS file maps file paths to GitHub usernames or teams.

• Enforces code review responsibility
• Helps automate reviewer assignment
• Provides clarity around ownership

2. Benefits of Using CODEOWNERS

• Ensures the right people review critical parts of the codebase.
• Reduces review delays and miscommunication.
• Encourages modular responsibility in large teams.
• Integrates well with branch protection rules.

3. Creating a CODEOWNERS File

• The file must be placed in one of these locations (in order of precedence):
  • .github/CODEOWNERS
  • docs/CODEOWNERS
  • Root directory: /CODEOWNERS

Example:

# Global owner
*       @global-owner

# Frontend owners
/frontend/  @frontend-team

# Specific file
config.yml  @devops-lead

4. Syntax and Scoping Rules

• Patterns are similar to .gitignore (wildcards, folders, specific files).
• Use * for all files, or target specific paths.
• You can assign multiple owners per line.
• Comments start with #.

Notes:

• Owners must have push access to the repository.
• Only one matching rule applies—the last one that matches wins.

5. GitHub Integration

• CODEOWNERS ties into pull request workflows.
• Reviewers from matching rules are automatically requested.
• If required reviews are enabled (via branch protection), owners must approve for a PR to be merged.

Setup:

Go to: GitHub > Settings > Branches > Branch Protection Rules

Enable:

• Require pull request reviews before merging
• Require review from Code Owners

6. Summary