How does version control integrate with CI/CD?

Question

Accepted Answer

**Version control** (Git) is the foundation that CI/CD builds on — code changes in the repository **trigger** pipelines, and branching strategies shape how CI/CD runs. The integration of Git and CI/CD is what enables automated, change-driven delivery.

## Git triggers CI/CD

```text
CI/CD pipelines are TRIGGERED by Git events:
  → a PUSH to a branch → runs CI (build + test) on that change
  → a PULL REQUEST → runs CI to verify the change before merging
  → a MERGE to main → may trigger deployment (CD)
  → a TAG (e.g. v1.2.0) → may trigger a release/production deployment
→ Every code change in Git automatically drives the pipeline → change-driven automation.
```

## Branching and CI/CD

```text
→ FEATURE BRANCHES → CI runs on each (build/test the branch); PRs must pass CI to merge
→ MAIN branch → kept always working (green); merges trigger deployment to staging/prod
→ Different branches can map to different ENVIRONMENTS or pipeline behaviors
  (e.g. main → production; develop → staging)
→ BRANCH PROTECTION → require CI to pass + reviews before merging (quality gate)
```

## Pull requests as quality gates

```text
→ Open a PR → CI automatically builds and tests the change
→ Reviewers review; CI checks must be GREEN to merge
→ Only verified, reviewed code reaches main → and thus deployment
→ This combines code review + automated checks before integration (strong quality gate)
```

## Why it matters

Understanding how version control integrates with CI/CD is valuable because Git is the foundation that drives CI/CD, so understanding the integration is important for how automated delivery actually works.

The core mechanism — **Git events trigger CI/CD pipelines** (a push runs CI on the change, a pull request runs CI to verify before merging, a merge to main may trigger deployment, a tag may trigger a release) — is what makes delivery **change-driven and automated**: every code change in version control automatically drives the appropriate pipeline, connecting the act of committing code to the automated build, test, and deploy process.

Understanding how **branching strategies shape CI/CD** (feature branches running CI on each change, main kept always working with merges triggering deployment, different branches mapping to different environments or behaviors, and branch protection requiring CI to pass before merging) is necessary for setting up CI/CD that aligns with the team's Git workflow.

Understanding **pull requests as quality gates** is particularly important: opening a PR triggers automated CI (building and testing the change), and requiring CI checks to be green (plus code review) before merging combines **automated verification and human review** into a strong quality gate — ensuring only verified, reviewed code reaches main and thus deployment.

This integration of Git (branches, PRs, triggers) with CI/CD (automated pipelines, quality gates) is fundamental to how modern delivery works — Git provides the events and structure that CI/CD automates around.

Since CI/CD is fundamentally driven by version control (Git events trigger pipelines, branching shapes the flow, PRs gate quality), and since understanding this integration explains how automated, change-driven delivery actually operates, understanding how version control integrates with CI/CD is valuable, practically-relevant knowledge — clarifying the foundational connection between Git and automated delivery that underpins modern software workflows.