diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index c1cec579f..b9ceaac69 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@
 
 name: Build
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - 'dependabot/**'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/docker.yml b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
index 86412d56f..3121cf03d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/docker.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/docker.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@
 
 name: Docker
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - 'dependabot/**'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/fuzz.yml b/.github/workflows/fuzz.yml
index a95109caa..59ed8a3c2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/fuzz.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/fuzz.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@
 
 name: CIFuzz
 
-on: [pull_request]
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/makefile-check.yml b/.github/workflows/makefile-check.yml
index a3dfc87eb..2f1d051f8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/makefile-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/makefile-check.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@
 
 name: Makefile Check
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - 'dependabot/**'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/otbr.yml b/.github/workflows/otbr.yml
index 9c5d3dfc5..9d32243ac 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/otbr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/otbr.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@
 
 name: Border Router
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - 'dependabot/**'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/otci.yml b/.github/workflows/otci.yml
index a55963fc1..f3c717073 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/otci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/otci.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@
 
 name: OTCI
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - 'dependabot/**'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/otns.yml b/.github/workflows/otns.yml
index 02f334443..5e63fad07 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/otns.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/otns.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@
 
 name: OTNS
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - 'dependabot/**'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/posix.yml b/.github/workflows/posix.yml
index a8adff42f..403d35f12 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/posix.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/posix.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@
 
 name: POSIX
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - 'dependabot/**'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/simulation-1.1.yml b/.github/workflows/simulation-1.1.yml
index 4bd6b8674..b79734ead 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/simulation-1.1.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/simulation-1.1.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@
 
 name: Simulation 1.1
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - 'dependabot/**'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/simulation-1.2.yml b/.github/workflows/simulation-1.2.yml
index e4abe2b8f..2e04435fc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/simulation-1.2.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/simulation-1.2.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@
 
 name: Simulation 1.3
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - 'dependabot/**'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/size.yml b/.github/workflows/size.yml
index c283bee49..ea79f101c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/size.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/size.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@
 
 name: Size
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - 'dependabot/**'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/toranj.yml b/.github/workflows/toranj.yml
index 4edbb859e..d109c9168 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/toranj.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/toranj.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,13 @@
 
 name: Toranj
 
-on: [push, pull_request]
+on:
+  push:
+    branches-ignore:
+      - 'dependabot/**'
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/version.yml b/.github/workflows/version.yml
index 5fecaefdf..f4fb637cd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/version.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/version.yml
@@ -28,7 +28,10 @@
 
 name: API Version
 
-on: [pull_request]
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    branches:
+      - 'main'
 
 concurrency:
   group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.event.pull_request.number || (github.repository == 'openthread/openthread' && github.run_id) || github.ref }}