This AZ-400 practice question tests your understanding of configure processes and communications. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
A developer wants to automatically trigger a GitHub Actions workflow when a pull request is opened that targets the 'release' branch. Which trigger should they use?
pull_request_target: branches: [release]
Why wrong: This is a security-hardened trigger for forked repos, not the standard PR trigger.
push: branches: [release]
Why wrong: This triggers on pushes, not pull requests.
workflow_dispatch:
Why wrong: This requires manual dispatch.
pull_request: branches: [release]
This triggers on PRs targeting the release branch.
Answer choices
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
pull_request: branches: [release]
Option D is correct because the `pull_request` trigger fires when a pull request is opened, and the `branches: [release]` filter restricts it to PRs targeting the `release` branch. This matches the developer's requirement exactly: automatically trigger a workflow when a PR is opened against `release`.
Key principle: Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Answer analysis
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
pull_request_target: branches: [release]
Why it's wrong here
This is a security-hardened trigger for forked repos, not the standard PR trigger.
push: branches: [release]
Why it's wrong here
This triggers on pushes, not pull requests.
workflow_dispatch:
Why it's wrong here
This requires manual dispatch.
pull_request: branches: [release]
Why this is correct
This triggers on PRs targeting the release branch.
Related concept
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
Common exam traps
The trap here is confusing `pull_request` with `pull_request_target` or `push`, where candidates mistakenly think a push to the branch or a fork-safe trigger is needed, but the question explicitly asks for a trigger when a pull request is opened, not when code is pushed.
Detailed technical explanation
The `pull_request` trigger uses the `pull_request` webhook event, which includes subtypes like `opened`, `synchronize`, and `closed`. When combined with `branches`, GitHub Actions evaluates the base branch of the PR, not the head branch, so `branches: [release]` ensures the workflow only runs for PRs targeting `release`. This is critical in CI/CD pipelines where you want to run tests or validation only on PRs to a specific branch, avoiding unnecessary runs on PRs to other branches.
Key takeaway
Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option.
Real-world example
A cloud solutions architect for a retail company is evaluating services for a new workload. The correct answer here reflects best practice for the specific scenario described — not a general cloud recommendation. Answer the scenario, not the keyword: identify the specific constraint before choosing the most familiar-sounding option. Cloud exam questions reward reading the constraint carefully: the same technology can be right or wrong depending on the use case.
What to study next
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FAQ
Configure processes and communications — This question tests Configure processes and communications — Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer..
The correct answer is: pull_request: branches: [release] — Option D is correct because the `pull_request` trigger fires when a pull request is opened, and the `branches: [release]` filter restricts it to PRs targeting the `release` branch. This matches the developer's requirement exactly: automatically trigger a workflow when a PR is opened against `release`.
Identify which exam domain this question belongs to, review the core concept, then practise similar questions from the same domain.
Read the scenario before looking for a memorised answer.
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Last reviewed: Jun 25, 2026
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