How would you structure a Git workflow for a .NET team working on APIs and frontend changes?

How would you structure a Git workflow for a .NET team?

Explains a practical Git workflow for a .NET team using branches, pull requests, code review, and protected main branches.

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I would keep the main branch protected and use short-lived feature branches for normal work. Changes should go through pull requests so the team can review code, tests, migrations, and deployment impact before merge. I prefer small branches that are easy to review over long-running branches that collect many unrelated changes. The goal is to keep main in a deployable state.

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Why this question matters
A shared Git workflow connects daily collaboration with review quality, deployable history, release traceability, and incident recovery. Main needs a clear protection policy, while ordinary changes and urgent fixes need paths the team can follow consistently.
I would keep the main branch protected and use short-lived feature branches for normal work. Changes should go through pull requests so the team can review code, tests, migrations, and deployment impact before merge. I prefer small branches that are easy to review over long-running branches that collect many unrelated changes. The goal is to keep main in a deployable state.
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In practice, for a .NET API I want a branch per feature or fix, a pull request with CI checks, and a review that looks at code, tests, migrations, configuration, and backward compatibility. The trade-off is that very strict branch policies can slow urgent fixes, so the hotfix path needs to be defined separately. I would rather have a lightweight but consistent workflow than a complicated branching model nobody follows.

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Keeping feature branches open for weeks.
Merging directly into main without review.
Mixing unrelated changes in one pull request.
Not merging hotfixes back into the main development line.

How would you structure a Git workflow for a .NET team working on APIs and frontend changes?

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