diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index 31cc3f2..3ba5e3b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -2,11 +2,20 @@ name: Release
 
 on: [push]
 
+permissions: 
+  # Needed to create PR statuses/checks
+  checks: write
+  statuses: write
+  # Needed to push git tags, release
+  contents: write
+
 jobs:
   release:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        with:
+          fetch-depth: 0
 
       - name: Prepare repository
         run: git fetch --unshallow --tags
@@ -27,6 +36,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Create Release
         env:
           GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PORTAL_JS_SDK_TOKEN }}
+          PROTECTED_BRANCH_REVIEWER_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.PORTAL_JS_SDK_TOKEN }}
           NPM_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.NPM_TOKEN_PRIVATE_PUBLISH }}
         run: |
           yarn install --frozen-lockfile
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 5602471..a88fa38 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
   },
   "repository": "git@github.com:Kong/sdk-portal-js.git",
   "devDependencies": {
-    "auto": "^10.46.0",
+    "@auto-it/protected-branch": "11.0.4",
+    "auto": "10.46.0",
     "typescript": "5.0.2"
   },
   "dependencies": {
@@ -20,7 +21,8 @@
   "author": "kong-apiops <apiops-bot@konghq.com>",
   "auto": {
     "plugins": [
-      "npm"
+      "npm",
+      "protected-branch"
     ]
   }
 }
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index 8980f94..8bacf70 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -7,6 +7,11 @@
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@auto-it/bot-list/-/bot-list-10.46.0.tgz#8e8c3d3bb68b8b4e13705fff373fbdab14869249"
   integrity sha512-QkkBgQVi1g/1Tpxcs3Hm3zTzaaM0xjiIRt5xEA6TRM/ULdgEqY+Jk/w1fJZe9GVF+53mwRfqGtQeJirilMBH6g==
 
+"@auto-it/bot-list@11.0.4":
+  version "11.0.4"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@auto-it/bot-list/-/bot-list-11.0.4.tgz#a247281531bc4ee4bde791515fd6ad98bc48afe0"
+  integrity sha512-f3w9UZ655MLiELUQP28K9Gceptf2vvKdKVRzh2b2ST+PG/srmoxCnHgE/TO9afW7NiuUA1h+hQVyIb0eQ9VSfQ==
+
 "@auto-it/core@10.46.0":
   version "10.46.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@auto-it/core/-/core-10.46.0.tgz#f7445ab03478cd9819e6bb78b1e5a441240dbf5f"
@@ -53,6 +58,52 @@
     typescript-memoize "^1.0.0-alpha.3"
     url-join "^4.0.0"
 
+"@auto-it/core@11.0.4":
+  version "11.0.4"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@auto-it/core/-/core-11.0.4.tgz#2a030c4eb58d70a8e74480e1d92b72b5cc824d9c"
+  integrity sha512-oYIByeGeuiM0MhWibbj3Y4Vj8p5Kt1n4g0hKL7Zu7oFlKmAjsZlwbH4z0wEjVTdK2+Eqg2/I1Dj/GgkiSriXgg==
+  dependencies:
+    "@auto-it/bot-list" "11.0.4"
+    "@endemolshinegroup/cosmiconfig-typescript-loader" "^3.0.2"
+    "@octokit/core" "^3.5.1"
+    "@octokit/plugin-enterprise-compatibility" "1.3.0"
+    "@octokit/plugin-retry" "^3.0.9"
+    "@octokit/plugin-throttling" "^3.6.2"
+    "@octokit/rest" "^18.12.0"
+    await-to-js "^3.0.0"
+    chalk "^4.0.0"
+    cosmiconfig "7.0.0"
+    deepmerge "^4.0.0"
+    dotenv "^8.0.0"
+    endent "^2.1.0"
+    enquirer "^2.3.4"
+    env-ci "^5.0.1"
+    fast-glob "^3.1.1"
+    fp-ts "^2.5.3"
+    fromentries "^1.2.0"
+    gitlog "^4.0.3"
+    https-proxy-agent "^5.0.0"
+    import-cwd "^3.0.0"
+    import-from "^3.0.0"
+    io-ts "^2.1.2"
+    lodash.chunk "^4.2.0"
+    log-symbols "^4.0.0"
+    node-fetch "2.6.7"
+    parse-author "^2.0.0"
+    parse-github-url "1.0.2"
+    pretty-ms "^7.0.0"
+    requireg "^0.2.2"
+    semver "^7.0.0"
+    signale "^1.4.0"
+    tapable "^2.2.0"
+    terminal-link "^2.1.1"
+    tinycolor2 "^1.4.1"
+    ts-node "^10.9.1"
+    tslib "2.1.0"
+    type-fest "^0.21.1"
+    typescript-memoize "^1.0.0-alpha.3"
+    url-join "^4.0.0"
+
 "@auto-it/npm@10.46.0":
   version "10.46.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@auto-it/npm/-/npm-10.46.0.tgz#2c139b831fe73eee7b9065de01a953525eba20f1"
@@ -81,6 +132,17 @@
     parse-author "^2.0.0"
     parse-github-url "1.0.2"
 
+"@auto-it/protected-branch@11.0.4":
+  version "11.0.4"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@auto-it/protected-branch/-/protected-branch-11.0.4.tgz#e1c0e99a841d01adaade5fa09da95b5eee745abe"
+  integrity sha512-vb5WlyL1esG6u4BkGX7BIyop2iMvIpe0T+h4zlLsWVx/P7mkwy8r851sSVYG+ECeCl4WhJDE3rTaM/aLA2j8VQ==
+  dependencies:
+    "@auto-it/core" "11.0.4"
+    "@octokit/rest" "^18.12.0"
+    fp-ts "^2.5.3"
+    io-ts "^2.1.2"
+    tslib "1.10.0"
+
 "@auto-it/released@10.46.0":
   version "10.46.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/@auto-it/released/-/released-10.46.0.tgz#9e18c909f7e067e3769ee439290404e28420bae0"
@@ -421,7 +483,7 @@ author-regex@^1.0.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/author-regex/-/author-regex-1.0.0.tgz#d08885be6b9bbf9439fe087c76287245f0a81450"
   integrity sha512-KbWgR8wOYRAPekEmMXrYYdc7BRyhn2Ftk7KWfMUnQ43hFdojWEFRxhhRUm3/OFEdPa1r0KAvTTg9YQK57xTe0g==
 
-auto@^10.46.0:
+auto@10.46.0:
   version "10.46.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/auto/-/auto-10.46.0.tgz#0e1f51e60341fb5cc6851de499b2d41c0b938436"
   integrity sha512-LUsn5SWyM6Qdz2i1h4YyDpBYlOUQ0Z+ZcQhDTu8DLLoUuUP4cGf79MCdpRpM1LQVbkqZ2WWi8s/QM4it/FmRjw==