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# Freeze a branch
## About
Freezing a branch in GitLab isn't a built-in GitLab feature per se, but we can **prevent changes** to a branch by using a combination of GitLab settings and permissions. This is commonly done when we want to **lock** or **freeze** a release or production branch.
Here are common methods to "freeze" a branch in GitLab:
## Option 1: **Protect the Branch (Recommended for Freezing)**
This will prevent anyone (or certain roles) from pushing or force-pushing to the branch.
**Steps:**
1. Go to your GitLab project.
2. Navigate to: `Settings` → `Repository`.
3. Scroll to **Protected Branches**.
4. In the **"Protect a branch"** section:
* Choose the branch you want to freeze (e.g., `release`, `main`).
* Set:
* **Allowed to push:** `No one`
* **Allowed to merge:** `No one` *(or keep Maintainers if needed for hotfixes)*
* Click **Protect**.
> This effectively freezes the branch: no one can push, force push, or merge into it unless you modify these settings.
### Option 2: **Tag the Branch Instead of Freezing**
If the goal is to preserve the current state for a release, you can create a **Git tag** (e.g., `v1.0.0`) and treat that as frozen.
```bash
git checkout release
git tag -a v1.0.0 -m "Release version 1.0.0"
git push origin v1.0.0
```
Tags are immutable by default in GitLab (unless explicitly allowed to be moved), so this provides a "freeze snapshot" without freezing the actual branch.
### Option 3: **Use Code Owners + Merge Request Rules (Premium+)**
If you have GitLab Premium or higher, you can:
* Define `CODEOWNERS` file for the branch.
* Require approval from code owners before merging.
* Combine this with protected branches.
This doesn’t freeze the branch but **controls who can change it**, useful for controlled release branches.
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