The repo waits, empty but full of potential. One wrong step in the first hour and the team will spend months cleaning up the damage. A clear, precise Git onboarding process is the difference between seamless collaboration and constant merge hell.
Define the repository structure before onboarding. Decide on default branches, naming conventions, and protected branch rules. Common settings include main as the stable branch, feature branches that follow a prefix pattern, and enforced reviews before merges. Document these rules in a CONTRIBUTING.md file so no one has to guess.
Configure access control. Assign permissions according to role. Maintain read-only access for stakeholders, write permissions for contributors, and admin rights for maintainers. Enforce Git commit signing to ensure code authorship and prevent unauthorized changes.
Standardize Git workflows. Pick a branching strategy—Git Flow, trunk-based development, or a hybrid—and stick to it. Clarify how feature branches are created, when to rebase, and the exact process for merge requests. Set expectations for pull request size, review turnaround, and continuous integration checks.