---
title: "Status updates overview"
description: "See how CircleCI reports pipeline status to your VCS with commit statuses, GitHub Checks, and Cursor Origin checks, and how to set up each."
platform: "Cloud, Server"
doc_version: "Server"
last_updated: "2026-10-23"
---

> For current CircleCI product defaults, deprecated patterns, and Cloud/Server differences, see [AGENTS.md](https://circleci.com/docs/AGENTS.md).
>
> For the complete documentation index and site structure, see [llms.txt](https://circleci.com/docs/llms.txt).

# Status updates overview

CircleCI reports the status of your pipelines back to GitHub. This lets you see the progress and results of your CircleCI jobs and workflows without leaving GitHub.

## Introduction

CircleCI reports a commit status update for each job, for every commit. You can disable commit status updates in the CircleCI web app by navigating to **Project Settings**  **Advanced Settings** and setting **VCS Status Updates** to `off`.

## Commit status updates

Commit status updates are the default way CircleCI reports pipeline status to GitHub. CircleCI reports one commit status for each job.

### Where commit status updates appear

When a pipeline is triggered in CircleCI, status information is sent back to your VCS. Commit status updates appear in the following locations:

*   In pull requests when viewing an individual commit.
    
*   Next to individual commits in a pull/merge request conversation view.
    
*   At the end of a pull/merge request.
    

The following images show where to find commit status updates in GitHub.

<Tabs>
<Tab title="Status updates in PR">

> **Image:** Job status in PR

Figure 1. Job status in PR

</Tab>
<Tab title="Commit status">

> **Image:** Status update for a commit in GitHub

Figure 2. Commit status in GitHub

</Tab>
<Tab title="Commit status in PR">

> **Image:** Status update for a commit in PR conversation view

Figure 3. Commit status in PR conversation view

</Tab>
</Tabs>

### Commit status update naming

CircleCI displays commit status updates differently depending on the job type.

Regular jobs display using the following format:

*   Format: `ci/circleci: <job_name>`
    
*   Example: `ci/circleci: build`
    
*   Example: `ci/circleci: rspec`
    

Approval jobs and no-op jobs display using the following format:

*   Format: `ci/circleci: <workflow_name>/<job_name>`
    
*   Example: `ci/circleci: build_and_deploy/approval-deploy`
    
*   Example: `ci/circleci: build_and_deploy/no-op-job`
    

The workflow name prefix for approval and no-op jobs provides additional context. These jobs typically require manual intervention or represent conditional workflow states. Regular jobs that run automatically do not require this additional context.

**Need to find the workflow for a regular job?** Click through to the CircleCI dashboard. The full workflow context is visible there.

### Disable commit status updates

To disable commit status updates in the CircleCI web app:

1.  In the CircleCI web app, select your org from the org cards on your user homepage.
    
2.  Select **Projects** from the sidebar and locate your project from the list. You can use the search to help.
    
3.  Select the ellipsis next to your project and select **Project Settings**.
    
    You can also access project settings from each project overview page using the **Settings** button.
    
4.  Select **Advanced Settings**.
    
5.  Set **VCS Status Updates** to `off`.
    

You can re-enable commit status updates by setting **VCS Status Updates** to `on`.

The **VCS Status Updates** setting affects GitHub commit status updates.

## Next steps

*   [Workflows](https://circleci.com/docs/guides/orchestrate/workflows/)
    
*   [Using Approval Jobs in Workflows](https://circleci.com/docs/guides/orchestrate/workflows/#holding-a-workflow-for-a-manual-approval)