How do I prevent renaming of a release branch?

[HansdeGrootNice]

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I have set up Rulesets that restrict branch names and prevents deletion of release branches (release/*). That works well, but I can still rename the release branch to a bugfix branch and then delete it from the github.com frontend.

How can prevent that the release branches can be renamed?

I have already enabled "Restrict updates" on the ruleset, but that does not prevent renaming.

[Hadi-rajput]

Hi there,
Currently, GitHub’s branch protection rules allow you to restrict deletion and updates, but unfortunately, there is no built-in option to prevent branch renaming. So even with “Restrict updates” enabled, a user with sufficient permissions can still rename a branch via the GitHub UI or Git.
Here are some ways to mitigate this issue:
Restrict repository permissions
Limit who can push or manage branches.
Only trusted admins should have the ability to rename branches.
Use GitHub Actions or automation
You can create an Action to monitor for branch rename events (on: push or on: rename) and either revert the rename or notify the team.
This is a practical way to enforce branch naming rules automatically.
CI/CD enforcement
Implement a check in your pipelines that fails builds or PRs if a branch does not follow the required naming convention (release/*).
This ensures that even if a branch is renamed, it cannot be merged until corrected.
Audit and monitoring
If you’re on GitHub Enterprise, use the Audit Log to track branch renames. This doesn’t prevent renames but helps monitor and respond quickly.
Summary:
Direct prevention of branch renames is not supported natively. The best approach is to combine restricted permissions, automated monitoring, and CI/CD checks to enforce branch naming policies and reduce the risk of accidental or unwanted renames.

[1Brandon1]

GitHub doesn’t have a direct “prevent rename” option. The only practical solution is monitoring via GitHub Actions / API and limiting admin permissions.

[omid-nk]

Good question. Unfortunately — as of now — there is no way via a built-in GitHub “Ruleset / Protected Branch” configuration to fully block renaming of branches.

[patrick-knight]

Hey @HansdeGrootNice

GitHub enterprise plans have support for commit metadata rules which can restrict branch names. Enterprise plans also support rule insights
to help understand when and why certain rules we're applied or not.

It is possible here with the configure ruleset, a team or role you are a member of might have bypass permissions which would not have applied the "restrict update" rule.

[alrifatsabbir]

But GitHub does not support preventing renaming of branches via rulesets.

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[Talha-Dogan]

Short answer: You need to block "Deletions".

In Git, "renaming" a branch is technically two operations happening behind the scenes: deleting the old branch reference and creating a new one. Therefore, if you prevent the branch from being deleted, you automatically prevent it from being renamed.

Here is how to set this up using Branch Protection Rules:

Go to your repository Settings.

Click on Branches (on the left sidebar) -> Add branch protection rule.

Branch name pattern: Enter the name of your branch (e.g., release or main).

In the rule settings, ensure that "Allow deletions" is UNCHECKED.

Note: By default, it is usually unchecked, but verify it explicitly.

(Optional but recommended) Check "Do not allow bypassing above settings" if you want to apply this restriction even to repository administrators.

Once this rule is active, anyone trying to rename that branch (via UI or CLI) will receive an error because the "delete" part of the rename operation will be blocked.