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+# Repository Settings
+
+These are the default settings that should be configured in each repo, changes can be made as needed.
+The settings described here should serve as a baseline, it is more important that there is some setting in place rather 
+than the exact settings being used across every repo.
+
+After a repo's settings are configured this file can be safely deleted from the repo since it is not needed for the
+project to run.
+
+## General
+
+### Default Branch
+- Default branch should be `main`
+
+### Features
+- Enable `Issues` 
+- Enable `Projects` 
+
+`Wikis` and `Discussions` can be enabled if needed.
+
+### Pull Requests
+- Disable allow merge commits
+- Enable squash merging with default commit message set to `Pull request title`
+- Disable allow rebase merging
+- Enable always suggest updating pull request branches
+- Enable allow auto-merge
+- Enable automatically delete head branches
+
+## Collaborators and teams  
+
+Every repo should have a team or set of teams configured in the `Manage Access` section. Ideally there should be
+two teams where one team is given `Admin` access and the other team is given either `Maintain` or `Write` access.
+
+The team responsible for code review should also be added to the [CODEOWNERS](../.github/CODEOWNERS) file so that
+they are automatically added as reviewers when a PR is opened. Read more on code owners [here](https://help.github.com/articles/about-codeowners/).
+
+If it is unclear which teams should be configured as codeowners or have admin access, please reach out in Slack in the
+`#help-github` channel.
+
+## Moderation options
+
+### Interaction limits
+
+Default settings should be alright here and can also be configured across the entire organization 
+in the [organization settings](https://github.com/organizations/strangelove-ventures/settings/interaction_limits).
+
+### Code review limits
+
+Default settings should be alright here.
+
+### Reported content
+
+Default settings should be alright here.
+
+## Branches
+
+A new branch protection rule should be created for the `main` branch. This rule should have the following settings:
+
+- Enable require a pull request before merging
+- Enable require approvals with at least 1 approval needed before merging
+- Enable require review from Code Owners
+- Enable require status checks to pass before merging with the following CI actions being required:
+  - Lint PR titles to validate they follow conventional commit format
+  - golangci-lint should be passing
+  - All unit, integration, and e2e tests are passing
+  - Codebase is compiling from the branch used in the PR
+- The following CI actions should run on every PR but should not be required status checks before merging:
+  - Markdown link checker
+  - CodeQL analysis
+  - Spell checker
+- Enable require branches to be up-to-date before merging
+- Enable do not allow bypassing the above settings
+
+Additional branch protection rules should be created for branches that are currently being maintained, used for releases,
+and/or other important branches that should not be merged into without proper review and restrictions in place. 
+
+## Tags  
+
+Default settings should be alright here. 
+
+## Rules  
+
+### Rulesets
+
+Default settings should be alright here.
+
+### Insights 
+
+Default settings should be alright here.
+
+## Actions
+
+### General
+
+#### Actions permissions
+
+- Allow all actions and reusable workflows
+
+#### Artifact and log retention 
+
+- Default value of 90 days should be alright here
+
+#### Fork pull request workflows from outside collaborators
+
+- Require approval for first-time contributors
+
+#### Workflow permissions
+
+- Read and write permissions
+- Allow GitHub Actions to create and approve pull requests
+
+### Runners
+
+Default settings should be alright here.
+
+## Webhooks  
+
+Default settings should be alright here.
+
+## Copilot  
+
+Default settings should be alright here.
+
+## Environments  
+
+Default settings should be alright here.
+
+## Codespaces  
+
+Default settings should be alright here.
+
+## Pages  
+
+Default settings should be alright here.
+
+## Custom Properties 
+
+Default settings should be alright here.
+
+## Code security and analysis
+
+- Enable Private vulnerability reporting
+- Enable dependency graph
+
+It is important to ensure that at least two maintainers are subscribed to receive alerts for security vulnerabilities.
+To ensure this is the case, you need to ensure that you are watching the repo and that you enable `Custom` events for
+`Security alerts`. After that you will need to navigate to your personal GitHub account settings and ensure that
+you have `Notifications` configured to receive alerts for `Participating`, `@mentions`, and `custom` such that you 
+will receive notifications via email.
+
+To read more about how to ensure you are receiving notifications for security alerts please review the comment found in
+[this issue](https://github.com/strangelove-ventures/oss-repo-template-golang/pull/31#issuecomment-2142932841). If you
+are unsure about any of this or need further guidance please reach out in the `#help-github` channel in Slack.
+
+### Dependabot
+
+- Enable Dependabot alerts
+- Enable Dependabot security updates
+- Enable Dependabot version updates
+
+### Code scanning
+
+- Enable CodeQL analysis
+
+### Secret scanning
+
+- Enable secret scanning to receive alerts on GitHub for detected secrets, keys, or other tokens.
+
+## Deploy keys  
+
+Default settings should be alright here and can be adjusted as needed.
+
+## Secrets and variables
+
+Default settings should be alright here and can be adjusted as needed.
+
+
+