Setting up custom variables in gitlab pipeline

Background

Having a new pipeline needed to setup, I try to put some frequently use variables e.g. AWS login ID to the custom variable convenient for my pipeline usage, but somehow it fails to read the variable 

Reason

Settings problem, I configure the variable as a protected variable, which only allows protected branches or tags to use only, as the target branch is not configured, the custom variable is not recognized

Solutions

We need to configure our target branch as a protected branch in Settings > Repository > Protected Tags, in that section we can input regular expression for the tags identified as "protected" branch, after that, the custom variable is recognized successfully

Gitlab email notification related to pipeline

Gitlab has email notification on various events such as pipeline failure / success, commitment etc. Unfortunately, the setting itself is confusing which make it hard to configure.


My Wish
When I tag a release, pipeline runs, after that send the pipeline results to the person I want.

You can see only a small request takes me half day to figure out where the configuration is. Here is how it can be achieve and the misleading configurations.

You may think that the notification should be well configured via "project > notifications", then you are wrong, the desired recipients will never receive the message, because that setting means ONLY AUTHOR will receive the pipeline status changes. I am quite surprise, not because of the result, but because of the lack of explanation regarding on the configurations.

So how can we achieve to send the email notification BESIDES AUTHOR? You may need to navigate to "Project > Settings > Integrations", enable "Pipelines emails", enter the desired email addresses and gotcha.

What a genius configuration settings, I really hope that software designers can design software based on "human beings" but not only for engineering mindset. It is unacceptable for a task being so complicated to accomplish.