Feature Proposal: Assign reviewer when pipeline succeeds
Summary
Add the ability to automatically assign a reviewer to a merge request only after the pipeline succeeds, similar to the existing "Merge when pipeline succeeds" (MWPS) feature.
Problem
Currently, when an MR author marks a merge request ready for review and assigns reviewers, reviewers get notified immediately - even while pipelines are still running. This often leads to a suboptimal experience:
- Wasted reviewer time: Reviewers start looking at the MR only to find pipeline failures shortly after
- Unnecessary back-and-forth: Simple formatting, linting, or test failures could have been caught by the author if they had waited for pipeline results
- Notification fatigue: Reviewers receive multiple notifications - first for the review request, then potentially for pipeline fixes
Proposal
Introduce an "Assign reviewer when pipeline succeeds" option that:
- Allows MR authors to queue reviewer assignment until the pipeline passes
- Only notifies the reviewer once the MR is in a "green" state
- Provides a smoother review experience where reviewers can be confident the basic checks have passed
Suggested UX
- Add a checkbox or dropdown option when assigning reviewers: "Assign when pipeline succeeds"
- Show a visual indicator that reviewer assignment is pending pipeline success
- If the pipeline fails, the assignment remains queued (similar to MWPS behavior)
Benefits
- Improved reviewer experience: Reviewers only get pinged for MRs that have passed automated checks
- Reduced noise: Fewer unnecessary notifications and context switches
- Better author workflow: Encourages authors to ensure pipeline success before requesting review
- Consistency: Aligns with the existing MWPS pattern that users are already familiar with
Related Features
- Merge when pipeline succeeds (MWPS)
- Auto-merge
- Merge request approvals
Edited by 🤖 GitLab Bot 🤖