Merge and close the task loop

What you will learn

• Understand the core purpose of Merge and close the task loop
• Master the basic usage and common options of Merge and close the task loop
• Close the full delivery loop by merging with the right strategy, confirming mainline state, cleaning branches, and updating task status.
• Understand key concepts: Before merge
• Know when to use this feature and when to avoid it

Approval is not the end. A task is truly closed when integration, cleanup, and status handoff are complete.

Start with a problem

When you're new to Git, the hardest part is often not the commands themselves, but knowing which ones to learn first and which ones can wait. This section helps you build the right learning sequence.

Before merge

1. required checks are green
2. approval conditions are satisfied
3. target branch is up to date

After merge

git switch main
git pull --ff-only
git branch -d feature/first-pr
git push origin --delete feature/first-pr

Why branch cleanup matters

Stale branches increase navigation noise and hide active work ownership.

!Do not stop at merge click

Without post-merge validation and task-state update, teams lose release visibility.

Good follow-up reads

1. first safe hotfix
2. pr merge strategy and platform settings
3. release hygiene

Try it yourself

1. Practice the merge-and-close-task command in a test repository and observe state changes before and after
2. Experiment with different options and compare the output differences
3. Simulate a real scenario where you would need to use this, and walk through the full process

Further reading

Keep going on the same topic:

• Handle review feedback
• Open your first pull request
• Git Quick Start Series