Pull Request

What a Pull Request means

A Pull Request, often shortened to PR, is not a separate Git command. It is a GitHub workflow built on top of Git branches, commits, and merges.

A PR asks GitHub to compare one branch with another branch. Usually, your work branch is the compare branch, and main is the base branch that will receive the work.

Use a Pull Request when another person should review the work, when the change is large, or when you want a clear discussion record before merging.

Push the branch to GitHub

Before you can open a Pull Request, the branch must be uploaded to GitHub.

git push -u origin draft-section

The -u option connects your local branch with the branch on GitHub. After that, you can usually use git push on the same branch.

Open a Pull Request

After pushing the branch, GitHub may show a Compare & pull request button. Click it to start the PR.

Check the branch direction carefully. The base branch is the branch that will receive the changes, usually main. The compare branch is the branch that contains your work.

Write a short title and description. The title should name the work, and the description should explain what changed or what the reviewer should check.

Review the Pull Request

After the Pull Request is created, GitHub keeps the discussion, commits, checks, and merge status in one place.

Use the changed files view to inspect the exact differences before merging. Reviewers can leave comments, approve the PR, or request changes.

If someone requests changes, return to the same branch, edit the files, commit the fix, and push again.

git add .
git commit -m "Address review comments"
git push

The Pull Request updates automatically after the new commit is pushed to the same branch.

Prepare the Pull Request for merge

Before merging, confirm that the requested changes have been addressed, required reviewers have approved the work, and automated checks have passed. GitHub should report that the Pull Request is ready to merge.

Leave the Pull Request open at this point. The next core document explains how to merge the approved PR and update your local main branch.

Do not treat a Pull Request as just another way to push. Its value is review: checking the branch direction, reading the file differences, discussing the change, and deciding that the work is ready before it enters main.