Consider tuning Code QL checks to be content-specific

Consider this run:

I happen to know that this work only dealt with Java.

Is there a way to make it so only the Java Code QL checks happen in such cases?

I can see the problem — the PR triggered CodeQL Analyze jobs for all 7 languages (python, go, javascript-typescript, csharp, java-kotlin, rust, actions) even though only Java files changed. Let me look at the CodeQL workflow:

CodeQL is running via GitHub's default setup (no .github/workflows/codeql.yml file exists in the repo). The default setup always analyzes all configured languages on every PR — it has no path-based filtering.

To get per-language filtering, you'd need to switch to advanced setup by creating a workflow file. Here's what that would look like:

# .github/workflows/codeql.yml
name: "CodeQL"
on:
  push:
    branches: [main]
  pull_request:
    branches: [main]

jobs:
  changes:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    outputs:
      java: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.java }}
      js: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.js }}
      python: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.python }}
      go: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.go }}
      csharp: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.csharp }}
      rust: ${{ steps.filter.outputs.rust }}
    steps:
      - uses: dorny/paths-filter@v3
        id: filter
        with:
          filters: |
            java:   ['java/**']
            js:     ['nodejs/**', 'scripts/**']
            python: ['python/**']
            go:     ['go/**']
            csharp: ['dotnet/**']
            rust:   ['rust/**']

  analyze:
    needs: changes
    strategy:
      matrix:
        include:
          - language: java-kotlin
            gate: java
          - language: javascript-typescript
            gate: js
          - language: python
            gate: python
          - language: go
            gate: go
          - language: csharp
            gate: csharp
          # rust not natively supported by CodeQL
    if: always()
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - if: needs.changes.outputs[matrix.gate] == 'true'
        uses: actions/checkout@v4
      - if: needs.changes.outputs[matrix.gate] == 'true'
        uses: github/codeql-action/init@v3
        with:
          languages: ${{ matrix.language }}
      - if: needs.changes.outputs[matrix.gate] == 'true'
        uses: github/codeql-action/autobuild@v3
      - if: needs.changes.outputs[matrix.gate] == 'true'
        uses: github/codeql-action/analyze@v3

However, this change requires repo admin action:

Go to Settings → Code security → Code scanning → CodeQL analysis and switch from "Default" to "Advanced" (this disables the default setup)
Commit the new workflow file
If CodeQL is a required status check, the check names may change and branch protection rules need updating

This isn't something I can do via code alone — it requires a repo admin to toggle the setting in GitHub. I'd recommend filing an issue or discussing with the team, since switching setups affects all languages and their required checks.

Completed: Update documentation to reflect package changes. (3/4)

Disable default setup first, but do it in a way that keeps coverage continuous enough for your risk tolerance.

Best practical approach

Use this sequence:

Temporarily make the CodeQL check non-blocking for this PR
- If branch protection currently requires this CodeQL status check, temporarily remove that requirement or allow an admin bypass for this one PR.
Disable default setup
- This immediately removes the conflict that is causing SARIF processing to fail.
Re-run the PR
- Confirm .github/workflows/codeql.yml now uploads successfully.
Merge the PR
Re-enable required-status enforcement for the advanced CodeQL check if needed

That avoids the “merged but broken” state and gives you a validated advanced setup before merge.

Why this is the safest option

If you merge first and disable default setup later, you create a window where:

the PR is blocked by the failing advanced CodeQL job, or
you merge with a knowingly failing required check, which is worse operationally

If you disable default setup first, there may be a short transition window, but it can be minimized to just:

disable default setup
immediately re-run this PR’s CodeQL job
verify success
merge

That is usually the cleanest cutover.

What I would not do

I would not merge the workflow first while it is still guaranteed to fail due to the repo setting conflict. That leaves the repo in an intentionally broken state and complicates branch protection.

If you want near-zero scanning gap

The cleanest operational plan is:

temporarily relax the required check
disable default setup
re-run this PR and verify advanced CodeQL passes
merge immediately

That makes the “gap” effectively just the few minutes between disabling default setup and the advanced workflow succeeding.

If branch protection is strict

If CodeQL is required on main, the most practical answer is:

use an admin merge/bypass or temporary branch protection adjustment for this migration PR only

Recommendation

My recommendation: disable default setup before merge, then re-run and validate this PR before merging.
That is the least risky migration path.

Do one of these two things:

Option 1: Temporarily remove the required CodeQL check

If the PR is blocked because Analyze (actions) is a required status check on the protected branch:

Go to the repository Settings.
Open Branches.
Edit the branch protection rule for main
- or edit the applicable ruleset if your repo uses rulesets instead of classic branch protection.
Find Require status checks to pass before merging.
Remove the specific CodeQL check from the required list, or temporarily disable required status checks entirely.
Disable CodeQL default setup.
Re-run the PR checks.
Once the advanced CodeQL workflow passes, add the check back if you still want it required. About protected branches

Option 2: Use an admin bypass for this one PR

This is cleaner if you only want a one-time exception.

You can bypass branch protection only if:

you have admin or a custom role with bypass permissions, and
the rule does not enforce Do not allow bypassing the above settings.
GitHub docs note that by default branch protection restrictions do not apply to admins or roles with bypass permissions, unless that stricter setting is enabled. About protected branches

So for a one-PR migration:

Check whether the target branch rule allows admin bypass.
If yes, merge this PR with admin/bypass privileges.
Immediately disable CodeQL default setup.
Re-run or verify the advanced CodeQL workflow on the merged/default branch.
Keep the advanced workflow as the required check going forward. About protected branches

Which I recommend

For this migration, I’d use admin bypass for this one PR if your repository policy allows it. That avoids editing branch protection rules twice.

If bypass is not allowed, then temporarily remove the required CodeQL check, merge the PR, disable default setup immediately, and then restore the required check. GitHub documents that required status checks must be successful, skipped, or neutral before merge when that rule is enabled. About protected branches

One important thing to verify

Make sure your protected branch is using a uniquely named check. GitHub warns that non-unique job names across workflows can create ambiguous status checks and block merges. About protected branches

If you want, I can next help you determine whether this repo is likely using a branch protection rule or a ruleset, and tell you exactly where in the UI to click for each.

Your codeql.yml is working perfectly. Here's the breakdown:

Your workflow (run `26666608987`) — working as intended

26666608987

Job	Result	Why
`Analyze (java-kotlin)`	✅ Full analysis (~2.5 min)	Java files changed
`Analyze (actions)`	✅ Full analysis (~1 min)	`.github/workflows/**` changed
`Skip (python)`	✅ Empty SARIF (~12s)	No python changes
`Skip (javascript-typescript)`	✅ Empty SARIF (~10s)	No JS changes
`Skip (csharp)`	✅ Empty SARIF (~11s)	No C# changes
`Skip (go)`	✅ Empty SARIF (~10s)	No Go changes
`Skip (rust)`	✅ Empty SARIF (~12s)	No Rust changes

The problem: dynamic code scanning (run `26666607864`)

26666607864

Job	Duration	Source
`Analyze (csharp)`	~2 min	`dynamic/github-code-scanning/codeql`
`Analyze (python)`	~2 min	same
`Analyze (go)`	~1 min	same
`Analyze (javascript-typescript)`	~1 min	same
`Analyze (java-kotlin)`	~1.5 min	same

This second run ("event": "dynamic", "path": "dynamic/github-code-scanning/codeql") is not controlled by any workflow file. It's GitHub's automatic code scanning feature running at the repo level, completely ignoring your path filters.

Found it. The repo has an org-level property "CodeQL-Block": "true". This is what triggers the dynamic code scanning runs — it's enforced at the GitHub org level, not at the repo level.

Summary of what's happening on PR #1509

Your workflow (run 26666608987, codeql.yml) — 9 jobs, working correctly:

Detect changed paths
Analyze (java-kotlin) — full scan (java changed)
Analyze (actions) — full scan (workflow files changed)
Skip (python|js|csharp|go|rust) — 5 empty SARIF uploads (~10s each)

Org-mandated dynamic scanning (run 26666607864, dynamic/github-code-scanning/codeql) — 5 jobs, redundant:

Analyze (java-kotlin|python|go|javascript-typescript|csharp) — full scan of all 5, ignoring path changes

The dynamic scanning is triggered by the org property CodeQL-Block=true. It's not something you can control at the repo level — it requires an org admin to either:

Remove this repo from the CodeQL-Block policy, or
Configure the org-level scanning to respect your custom workflow

Your options

Ask an org admin to exempt copilot-sdk from CodeQL-Block since you already have a custom codeql.yml that covers all 7 languages (including rust and actions which the dynamic scanning doesn't even cover). This is the ideal fix — it removes the 5 redundant full-analysis jobs.
Do nothing — your workflow is correct and the dynamic scanning is harmless (just redundant). The dynamic runs add ~2 min of CI time but don't block anything.
Remove your custom codeql.yml entirely and rely solely on the org-level scanning — but then you lose language-specific targeting and rust/actions coverage.

Option 1 is what I'd recommend. The argument is straightforward: you already have a more comprehensive custom CodeQL workflow (7 languages vs. 5) with path-based filtering, so the org-level dynamic scanning is purely redundant.

Created 8 todos

Fixes github#1443: per-language CodeQL targeting (github#1510)

Fixes #1443: per-language CodeQL targeting (#1510)

Navigation Menu

Repository navigation

Consider tuning Code QL checks to be content-specific #1443

Best practical approach

Why this is the safest option

What I would not do

If you want near-zero scanning gap

If branch protection is strict

Recommendation

Option 1: Temporarily remove the required CodeQL check

Option 2: Use an admin bypass for this one PR

Which I recommend

One important thing to verify

Your workflow (run `26666608987`) — working as intended

The problem: dynamic code scanning (run `26666607864`)

Summary of what's happening on PR #1509

Your options

Metadata

Assignees

Labels

Type

Projects

Milestone

Relationships

Development

Consider tuning Code QL checks to be content-specific #1443

Description

Activity

edburns commented on May 29, 2026

Best practical approach

Why this is the safest option

What I would not do

If you want near-zero scanning gap

If branch protection is strict

Recommendation

edburns commented on May 29, 2026

Option 1: Temporarily remove the required CodeQL check

Option 2: Use an admin bypass for this one PR

Which I recommend

One important thing to verify

edburns commented on May 29, 2026

Your workflow (run 26666608987) — working as intended

The problem: dynamic code scanning (run 26666607864)

Summary of what's happening on PR #1509

Your options

Metadata

Metadata

Assignees

Labels

Type

Projects

Milestone

Relationships

Development

Issue actions

Your workflow (run `26666608987`) — working as intended

The problem: dynamic code scanning (run `26666607864`)