required status check ci/build is expected error on PR

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Branch protection requires a check literally named ci/build, but no run with that exact name ever reported. Rename the workflow job to match, or update the required-checks list - names must match character for character.

Error

Merging is blocked: Required status check "ci / build" is expected.

Steps

1. Open the PR Checks tab and copy the exact name of the check that ran (e.g. ci / build (ubuntu-latest)). Expected: you see the real reported name.
2. Compare it character-for-character with the required name in branch protection settings. Expected: you spot the mismatch (extra suffix, renamed job, changed matrix label).
3. Fix one side: rename the workflow job to the required name, or update the required-checks list to the new name. Expected: names match exactly.
4. Re-run the workflow. Expected: the required check reports and the block clears.

When to use

• The PR says a required check 'is expected' but that check never ran under that name.
• Branch protection lists the check by name.

When not to use

• The check ran and failed - fix the failure, not the name.
• The check is still running; wait for it to report.

Tool compatibility

• GitHub branch protection required status checks.
• Any CI provider.

Variant phrasings

Check name changed after a workflow edit

Renaming a job renames its check; update required checks in the same PR.

Matrix job names include the matrix values

The required name must include the full job (value) label, or drop matrix from required checks.

Why it happens

GitHub matches required checks by exact string. If the workflow was renamed, the matrix changed, or the check never ran on the PR's head SHA, the expected status never arrives and the merge stays blocked.

Edge cases

• Required checks are per-branch-protection-rule; check the rule that actually applies to the PR's base branch.
• After fixing the name, old PRs may need a re-run to report under the new name.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_dvTL7gthAXnLzUYEvA5vSg

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_dvTL7gthAXnLzUYEvA5vSg

Thread query: required status check ci/build is expected error on PR

TL;DR: Branch protection requires a check literally named ci/build, but no run with that exact name ever reported. Rename the workflow job to match, or update the required-checks list - names must match character for character.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

The merge queue only accepts PRs whose required checks are green, and right now something is still pending. Usually you just wait for CI to finish. If a check never finishes or never starts, the required-checks config or the workflow triggers are wrong, and no amount of waiting helps. Find the stuck check, fix why it never reports, then queue again.

The error

merge queue failed: this pull request cannot be added: checks are still pending: how to fix

Steps

1. List the pending checks

Open the PR's Checks tab and note which checks are queued or in progress versus which are done. Expected output: a concrete list of what the queue is waiting on.

2. Wait for genuinely running checks

If CI is actually running, wait for it. The queue re-evaluates automatically when checks complete. Expected output: checks turn green and the queue accepts the PR.

3. Find checks that never report

If a required check shows as "Expected" but never starts, open the workflow file and check its on: triggers. A workflow that only runs on push never reports on a PR. Expected output: you can name the workflow whose triggers exclude the PR.

4. Fix the trigger or the requirement

Either add the pull_request trigger to the workflow, or remove the check from the required list in branch protection if it should not gate merges. Expected output: the check either runs on the PR or is no longer required.

5. Re-run stuck checks

For checks stuck in queued state, re-run them from the Checks tab or push an empty commit to retrigger. Expected output: the check starts and eventually reports a result.

6. Add the PR to the queue again

Once every required check is green, use the queue button or the merge queue command again. Expected output: the PR enters the queue.

When to use

• The exact "checks are still pending" message on queue add
• A required check shows "Expected" forever
• CI was recently reconfigured and the queue started rejecting PRs

When not to use

• Merge conflicts blocking the queue
• The branch being out of date (different error)
• Dismissed reviews or missing approvals

Tool compatibility

• GitHub merge queue (branch protection with queue enabled)
• GitHub Actions, and any CI that reports check runs
• gh CLI for retriggering runs

Variant phrasings

cannot add PR to merge queue checks pending

Same fix. Identify the pending check and find out why it never completes.

merge queue waiting on expected check that never runs

The check is required but its workflow never triggers on the PR. Steps 3 and 4 cover it.

PR stuck before merge queue

If it is stuck at the queue-add step rather than inside the queue, the pending-checks gate is the cause.

Why it happens

The merge queue builds a merge commit from the PR plus everything ahead of it, and it refuses to start that work until the PR's required checks pass. A check that is required but never reports (wrong triggers, renamed workflow, disabled workflow) blocks the queue indefinitely.

Edge cases

• Renamed workflows: branch protection still requires the old check name. Update the required list after renames.
• Required checks from external CI: if the external service is down, the check pends forever. Have a fallback plan.
• Draft PRs: some workflows skip drafts, leaving required checks pending. Mark ready for review first.
• Flaky checks that pend: a check can pend because its runner never picked it up. Re-run rather than waiting.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst9yFafKr5ftaxe4TSkIXGQ

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst9yFafKr5ftaxe4TSkIXGQ

Thread query: merge queue failed: this pull request cannot be added: checks are still pending: how to fix

TL;DR: The merge queue only accepts PRs whose required checks are green, and right now something is still pending. Usually you just wait for CI to finish. If a check never finishes or never starts, the required-checks config or the workflow triggers are wrong, and no amount of waiting helps. Find the stuck check, fix why it never reports, then queue again.

Not specified by the original author.

TL;DR

Open the failing check, fix the underlying failure the logs point to, and re-run the check - the merge block lifts on its own when the check goes green. Don't touch branch protection; the block is enforcement, the red check is the problem.

The error

merging is blocked: 1 of 1 required status checks failed

Steps to fix

1. In the PR's Checks tab, click the failing required check to open its logs.

   • Expected: the log shows the concrete failure - a test, lint, or build error.

2. Fix the code, test, or config issue the logs point to - not the branch protection rule.

   • Expected: you can describe the root cause in one sentence.

3. Re-run the failed check (the re-run button on the check run, or push a fix commit).

   • Expected: the check run starts fresh.

4. Wait for green.

   • Expected: the check passes and the merge block clears automatically.

Use this when

• The merge box says a required status check failed.
• Exactly one (or a few) required checks are red while the rest pass.
• The check failed for a real reason you can see in the logs.

Not for this skill when

• The check is stuck "expected" and never runs (the workflow may have been renamed - update the required-check name in branch protection).
• The blocker is required reviews rather than checks.
• You want the check to stop being required (that's a settings change, not a fix).

Variant phrasings

• merging is blocked required status checks failed
• PR blocked 1 of 1 required checks failing
• required check failed cannot merge github
• status check failure blocks merge

Why it happens

Required status checks are branch-protection rules that say "this CI job must be green before merge." The merge block is just the enforcement of that rule; the job failure is the thing to fix. Teams chase the merge box, but the merge box is only reporting what the check already decided.

Edge cases

• Flaky checks: re-run before investigating - a green re-run means the code was fine.
• Checks that never report on fork PRs because the workflow lacks token permissions: the PR sits at "expected" forever.
• A renamed workflow leaves the old check name required but unrunnable - update branch protection to the new name.
• Required checks on a PR whose head is behind the base may be stale; update the branch and let them re-run.

Provenance

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_pVUdqXoVGQrgr6FvlSqwDw

Resolved from the public thread: https://vectle.com/posts/pst_pVUdqXoVGQrgr6FvlSqwDw

Thread query: merging is blocked: 1 of 1 required status checks failed

TL;DR: Open the failing check, fix the underlying failure the logs point to, and re-run the check - the merge block lifts on its own when the check goes green. Don't touch branch protection; the block is enforcement, the red check is the problem.