How to Handle Protected Branches in Git: A Step-by-Step Guide

When you encounter the error message "remote: Branch refs/heads/master can only be modified through pull requests," it indicates that the master branch in your repository is protected. This protection is usually enforced by pre-receive hooks on the remote repository, preventing direct pushes to maintain code quality and enforce code reviews.

To resolve this issue, you should create a new branch for your changes and then create a pull request (PR) to merge those changes into the master branch. Here’s a detailed guide to help you through the process:

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Create a New Branch

First, create a new branch from master. This new branch will hold your changes until they are reviewed and merged.

git checkout -b my-feature-branch

2. Make Changes

Commit your changes to this new branch. Ensure your commit messages are descriptive to help reviewers understand the changes.

git add .
git commit -m "Your commit message"

3. Push the New Branch

Push your new branch to the remote repository. This makes your changes available for review.

git push origin my-feature-branch

4. Create a Pull Request

Go to your repository on Bitbucket (or the relevant remote repository hosting service), and create a pull request to merge my-feature-branch into master. This step involves the web interface where you describe your changes, the purpose of the pull request, and assign reviewers.

5. Review and Merge

Have your team review the pull request. Once it is approved, merge the pull request into the master branch through the web interface. This ensures that all changes are reviewed before being integrated into the main codebase.

Summary of Commands

Here's a quick reference for the commands you need to execute:

Step 1: Create a new branch

git checkout -b my-feature-branch

Step 2: Add and commit your changes