Execution Modes

Auto Merge supports six execution modes, allowing gradual adoption from read-only observation to full automation.

Set the mode via CLI flag: --mode=<Mode>

Mode Comparison

Mode	Labels	Rebase	Cancel Pipelines	Cancel Auto-Merge	Merge	Use Case
DryRun	—	—	—	—	—	Test without changes
OnlyLabels	yes	—	—	—	—	Visualize MR status only
RebaseOnly	yes	yes	—	—	—	Keep MRs up-to-date
NoMerge	yes	yes	yes	yes	—	Prepare MRs, let humans merge
NoPipelineCancellation	yes	yes	—	—	yes	Full automation, all pipelines run
Run	yes	yes	yes	yes	yes	Full automation with pipeline optimization

“Cancel Auto-Merge” disables GitLab’s built-in “merge when pipeline succeeds” flag on MRs, preventing double-merges. Auto Merge controls the merge queue — GitLab’s native auto-merge must not interfere.

Default: DryRun

Recommended Adoption Path

1. Start with DryRun — observe what Auto Merge would do without any changes
2. Switch to OnlyLabels — adds status labels to MRs, giving your team visibility
3. Enable RebaseOnly — automatically rebases MRs, reducing manual work
4. Go to Run — full automation with merging, rebasing, and pipeline management

Example

# Start in observation mode
docker run ... neckarit/gitlab-auto-merge:latest --mode=DryRun

# Later, enable full automation
docker run ... neckarit/gitlab-auto-merge:latest --mode=Run