---
title: Introducing Mergify Workflow Automation
description: An overview of Mergify Workflow Automation and its capabilities to supercharge your pull request process.
---

Mergify Workflow Automation is a sophisticated system designed to revolutionize
your pull request process. It empowers development teams to automate tasks and
processes using a rule-based approach. This ensures efficiency, consistency,
and adherence to project standards.

## Why Use Mergify Workflow Automation?

1. **Automate Repetitive Tasks**: Frequent tasks such as labeling, assigning,
   or merging pull requests can be automated, freeing up developers to focus on
   code and innovative solutions.

2. **Consistent Standards**: Ensure that each pull request adheres to your
   project's guidelines, with automated checks and balances in place.

3. **Flexible and Powerful**: The system is based on rules that you define,
   offering flexibility to cater to your project's unique needs.

4. **Real-time Feedback**: Instantly inform contributors about the status of
   their pull requests, ensuring clarity and quick response times.

5. **Easier On-boarding**: Make it easy for any developer to understand your
   repository rules by crafting your rules in an easy-to-read YAML format.

## State-Based, Edge-Triggered System

Mergify evaluates the state of a pull request rather than individual events.

This means it checks the current status of a pull request and acts based on
defined conditions. This behavior is known as "edge triggering."

An action will only by re-triggered for a pull request if the state flips back
from being unmatched to matched.

For instance, consider a rule that specifies a pull request should be merged if
it has at least two approved reviews and all CI checks pass. Even if the second
approval and CI success come at different times, Mergify will act once the
entire state of the pull request matches the rule.

```yaml
pull_request_rules:
  - name: merge automatically when CI passes and PR is approved
    conditions:
      - "#approved-reviews-by >= 2"
      - check-success = my-favorite-ci
    actions:
      merge:
```

On the other hand, a rule that posts a comment when a pull request is in
conflict with its base branch will only be triggered when the pull request
becomes in conflict, or when it becomes in conflict again — not every push to
its base branch.

```yaml
pull_request_rules:
  - name: merge automatically when CI passes and PR is approved
    conditions:
      - conflict
    actions:
      comment:
        message: Your PR is in conflict, {{author}}. You should fix it.
```

This makes sure the system does not *spam* the pull request.

:::note
Mergify never evaluates rules for pull request drafts it creates to
  processing the [merge queue](/merge-queue).
:::

## Getting Started

To begin with Mergify, you'll need to [setup Mergify on your GitHub
repository](/integrations/github). You can then [set up rules for your
repository](writing-your-first-rule).

Each rule will contain conditions (e.g., pull request state, number of reviews)
and actions (e.g., merge, label). When a pull request meets the conditions of a
rule, the specified actions are automatically executed.

Mergify Workflow Automation is more than just a tool – it's a game changer for
developers and teams who seek efficiency, consistency, and automation in their
pull request process. By introducing state-based, edge-triggered rules, Mergify
provides unparalleled control over your project's workflows. Dive in, set up
your first rule, and experience the transformation firsthand.