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# Merge request approval settings **(PREMIUM)**

You can configure the settings for [merge request approvals](index.md) to
ensure the approval rules meet your use case. You can also configure
[approval rules](rules.md), which define the number and type of users who must
approve work before it's merged. Merge request approval settings define how
those rules are applied as a merge request moves toward completion.

## Edit merge request approval settings

To view or edit merge request approval settings:

1. Go to your project and select **Settings > Merge requests**.
1. Expand **Approvals**.

### Approval settings

These settings limit who can approve merge requests:

- [**Prevent approval by author**](#prevent-approval-by-author):
  Prevents the author of a merge request from approving it.
- [**Prevent approvals by users who add commits**](#prevent-approvals-by-users-who-add-commits):
  Prevents users who add commits to a merge request from also approving it.
- [**Prevent editing approval rules in merge requests**](#prevent-editing-approval-rules-in-merge-requests):
  Prevents users from overriding project level approval rules on merge requests.
- [**Require user password to approve**](#require-user-password-to-approve):
  Force potential approvers to first authenticate with a password.
- Code Owner approval removals: Define what happens to existing approvals when
  commits are added to the merge request.
  - **Keep approvals**: Do not remove any approvals.
  - [**Remove all approvals**](#remove-all-approvals-when-commits-are-added-to-the-source-branch):
    Remove all existing approvals.
  - [**Remove approvals by Code Owners if their files changed**](#remove-approvals-by-code-owners-if-their-files-changed):
    If a Code Owner approves a merge request, and a later commit changes files
    they are a Code Owner for, their approval is removed.

## Prevent approval by author

> Moved to GitLab Premium in 13.9.

By default, the author of a merge request cannot approve it. To change this setting:

1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > Merge requests**.
1. In the **Merge request approvals** section, scroll to **Approval settings** and
   clear the **Prevent approval by author** checkbox.
1. Select **Save changes**.

Authors can edit the approval rule in an individual merge request and override
this setting, unless you configure one of these options:

- [Prevent overrides of default approvals](#prevent-editing-approval-rules-in-merge-requests) at
  the project level.
- *(Self-managed instances only)* Prevent overrides of default approvals
  [at the instance level](../../../admin_area/merge_requests_approvals.md). When configured
  at the instance level, you can't edit this setting at the project or individual
  merge request levels.

## Prevent approvals by users who add commits

> Moved to GitLab Premium in 13.9.

By default, users who commit to a merge request can still approve it. At both
the project level or [instance level](../../../admin_area/merge_requests_approvals.md),
you can prevent committers from approving merge requests that are partially
their own. To do this:

1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > Merge requests**.
1. In the **Merge request approvals** section, scroll to **Approval settings** and
   select **Prevent approvals by users who add commits**.
   If this checkbox is cleared, an administrator has disabled it
   [at the instance level](../../../admin_area/merge_requests_approvals.md), and
   it can't be changed at the project level.
1. Select **Save changes**.

Depending on your version of GitLab, [code owners](../../code_owners.md) who commit
to a merge request may or may not be able to approve the work:

- In GitLab 13.10 and earlier, [code owners](../../code_owners.md) who commit
  to a merge request can approve it, even if the merge request affects files they own.
- In [GitLab 13.11 and later](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/331548),
  [code owners](../../code_owners.md) who commit
  to a merge request cannot approve it, when the merge request affects files they own.

For more information, see the [official Git documentation](https://git-scm.com/book/en/v2/Git-Basics-Viewing-the-Commit-History).

## Prevent editing approval rules in merge requests

By default, users can override the approval rules you [create for a project](rules.md)
on a per-merge-request basis. If you don't want users to change approval rules
on merge requests, you can disable this setting:

1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > Merge requests**.
1. In the **Merge request approvals** section, scroll to **Approval settings** and
   select **Prevent editing approval rules in merge requests**.
1. Select **Save changes**.

This change affects all open merge requests.

## Require user password to approve

> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/5981) in GitLab 12.0.
> - Moved to GitLab Premium in 13.9.

You can force potential approvers to first authenticate with a password. This
permission enables an electronic signature for approvals, such as the one defined by
[Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 11](https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=11&showFR=1&subpartNode=21:1.0.1.1.8.3)):

1. Enable password authentication for the web interface, as described in the
   [sign-in restrictions documentation](../../../admin_area/settings/sign_in_restrictions.md#password-authentication-enabled).
1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > Merge requests**.
1. In the **Merge request approvals** section, scroll to **Approval settings** and
   select **Require user password to approve**.
1. Select **Save changes**.

## Remove all approvals when commits are added to the source branch

By default, an approval on a merge request is removed when you add more changes
after the approval. In GitLab Premium and higher tiers, to keep existing approvals
after more changes are added to the merge request:

1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > Merge requests**.
1. In the **Merge request approvals** section, scroll to **Approval settings** and
   clear the **Remove all approvals** checkbox.

   NOTE:
   This setting is not available in GitLab Free.

1. Select **Save changes**.

Approvals aren't removed when a merge request is [rebased from the UI](../methods/index.md#rebasing-in-semi-linear-merge-methods)
However, approvals are reset if the target branch is changed.

## Remove approvals by Code Owners if their files changed

> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/90578) in GitLab 15.3.

If you only want to remove approvals by Code Owners whose files have been changed:

Prerequisite:

- You must have at least the Maintainer role for a project.

To do this:

1. On the left sidebar, select **Settings > Merge requests**.
1. In the **Merge request approvals** section, scroll to **Approval settings** and
   select **Remove approvals by Code Owners if their files changed**.
1. Select **Save changes**.

## Code coverage check approvals

You can require specific approvals if a merge request would result in a decline in code test
coverage.

For more information, see [Coverage check approval rule](../../../../ci/pipelines/settings.md#coverage-check-approval-rule).

## Settings cascading

> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/285410) in GitLab 14.4. [Deployed behind the `group_merge_request_approval_settings_feature_flag` flag](../../../../administration/feature_flags.md), disabled by default.
> - [Enabled by default](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/285410) in GitLab 14.5.
> - [Feature flag `group_merge_request_approval_settings_feature_flag`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/343872) removed in GitLab 14.9.

You can also enforce merge request approval settings:

- At the [instance level](../../../admin_area/merge_requests_approvals.md), which apply to all groups
  on an instance and, therefore, all projects.
- On a [top-level group](../../../group/manage.md#group-merge-request-approval-settings), which apply to all subgroups
  and projects.

If the settings are inherited by a group or project, they cannot be changed in the group or project
that inherited them.

## Related topics

- [Instance-level merge request approval settings](../../../admin_area/merge_requests_approvals.md)
- [Compliance report](../../../compliance/compliance_report/index.md)
- [Merge request approvals API](../../../../api/merge_request_approvals.md)