Quality Gate - CI/CD Glossary Definition
A quality gate fails the build when metrics like test coverage, lint errors, or security findings breach a set threshold.
A quality gate is a pass/fail checkpoint that fails a build when code quality metrics (coverage, lint errors, security findings, duplication) cross a defined threshold.
Quality gates turn subjective standards into hard rules the pipeline enforces. Tools like SonarQube ship a default quality gate; you can also build one from a coverage tool that exits non-zero below a percentage.
Common gate conditions
Typical thresholds: coverage on new code above 80%, zero new critical vulnerabilities, no new code smells above a rating. A single failing condition fails the whole gate.
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