## Problem to solve Merge request approvers, added by approval rules or CODEOWNERS, are immediately treated as participants when a merge request is created. When subscribed to **Participant** notifications for a project, this means they receive notifications for every single merge request. If I am mentioned, leave a comment, assign myself etc, or actually click approve, then sure make me a participant and send me notifications. ## Further details There are three levels of user notifications that are supported: * **Watch** - you receive every notification for activity If the user is watching the project, regardless of being a named eligible approver, they should receive notifications. :white_check_mark: Expected behavior to receive everything already * **Participant** - you will only receive notifications for threads you have participated in If the user has subscribed to participant notifications, and is an eligible approver, they currently receive notifications for that merge request. :x: Users do not expect to be a participant simply through the creation of a merge request because they are an eligible approver. * **On mention** - you will receive notifications only for comments you are at-mentioned in Notifications should not be sent based on approval rules. When the are explicitly mentioned or assigned, they should be notified. :white_check_mark: These users should not be receiving notifications currently ## Proposal If a person has subscribed to **Participant** notifications for the project, being an listed eligible approver should not constitute participation. Events that do constitute participation include: - leaving a comment - approving the merge request - being assigned to the merge request the should not be treated as a participant In summary: do not make approvers participants unless they actively participate on the merge request. ## Customers - https://gitlab.my.salesforce.com/0016100001FI1Jz ~"GitLab Ultimate" - https://gitlab.my.salesforce.com/0016100001CXro6 ~"GitLab Premium" - https://gitlab.salesforce.com/00161000006g08Q ~"GitLab Premium" - https://gitlab.my.salesforce.com/0016100000fdr2y ~"GitLab Premium" - https://gitlab.my.salesforce.com/0016100000azvOt - Glasgow Haskell Compiler - https://gitlab.my.salesforce.com/0016100000W44Pc ~"GitLab Premium" ## Links / references