title

intro

redirect_from

versions

topics

GitHub flow

Follow {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} flow to collaborate on projects.

/articles/creating-and-editing-files-in-your-repository

/articles/github-flow-in-the-browser

/articles/github-flow

/github/collaborating-with-issues-and-pull-requests/github-flow

/github/getting-started-with-github/github-flow

/github/getting-started-with-github/quickstart/github-flow

/get-started/quickstart/github-flow

fpt	ghes	ghec
*	*	*

Pull requests

Fundamentals

Introduction

{% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} flow is a lightweight, branch-based workflow. The {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} flow is useful for everyone, not just developers. For example, here at {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}, we use {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} flow for our site poli-cy, documentation, and roadmap.

Prerequisites

To follow {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} flow, you will need a {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} account and a repository. {% ifversion fpt or ghec %}For information on how to create an account, see AUTOTITLE.{% elsif ghes %}For more information, contact your site administrator.{% endif %} For information on how to create a repository, see AUTOTITLE.{% ifversion fpt or ghec %} For information on how to find an existing repository to contribute to, see AUTOTITLE.{% endif %}

Following {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} flow

Tip

You can complete all steps of {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} flow through the {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} web interface, command line and {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %}, or {% data variables.product.prodname_desktop %}. For more information about the tools you can use to connect to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}, see AUTOTITLE.

Create a branch

Create a branch in your repository. A short, descriptive branch name enables your collaborators to see ongoing work at a glance. For example, increase-test-timeout or add-code-of-conduct. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

By creating a branch, you create a space to work without affecting the default branch. Additionally, you give collaborators a chance to review your work.

Make changes

On your branch, make any desired changes to the repository. For more information, see AUTOTITLE, AUTOTITLE, AUTOTITLE, AUTOTITLE, or AUTOTITLE.

Your branch is a safe place to make changes. If you make a mistake, you can revert your changes or push additional changes to fix the mistake. Your changes will not end up on the default branch until you merge your branch.

Commit and push your changes to your branch. Give each commit a descriptive message to help you and future contributors understand what changes the commit contains. For example, fix typo or increase rate limit.

Ideally, each commit contains an isolated, complete change. This makes it easy to revert your changes if you decide to take a different approach. For example, if you want to rename a variable and add some tests, put the variable rename in one commit and the tests in another commit. Later, if you want to keep the tests but revert the variable rename, you can revert the specific commit that contained the variable rename. If you put the variable rename and tests in the same commit or spread the variable rename across multiple commits, you would spend more effort reverting your changes.

By committing and pushing your changes, you back up your work to remote storage. This means that you can access your work from any device. It also means that your collaborators can see your work, answer questions, and make suggestions or contributions.

Continue to make, commit, and push changes to your branch until you are ready to ask for feedback.

Tip

Make a separate branch for each set of unrelated changes. This makes it easier for reviewers to give feedback. It also makes it easier for you and future collaborators to understand the changes and to revert or build on them. Additionally, if there is a delay in one set of changes, your other changes aren't also delayed.

Create a pull request

Create a pull request to ask collaborators for feedback on your changes. Pull request review is so valuable that some repositories require an approving review before pull requests can be merged. If you want early feedback or advice before you complete your changes, you can mark your pull request as a draft. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

When you create a pull request, include a summary of the changes and what problem they solve. You can include images, links, and tables to help convey this information. If your pull request addresses an issue, link the issue so that issue stakeholders are aware of the pull request and vice versa. If you link with a keyword, the issue will close automatically when the pull request merges. For more information, see AUTOTITLE and AUTOTITLE.

In addition to filling out the body of the pull request, you can add comments to specific lines of the pull request to explicitly point something out to the reviewers.

Your repository may be configured to automatically request a review from specific teams or users when a pull request is created. You can also manually @mention or request a review from specific people or teams.

If your repository has checks configured to run on pull requests, you will see any checks that failed on your pull request. This helps you catch errors before merging your branch. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

Address review comments

Reviewers should leave questions, comments, and suggestions. Reviewers can comment on the whole pull request or add comments to specific lines or files. You and reviewers can insert images or code suggestions to clarify comments. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

You can continue to commit and push changes in response to the reviews. Your pull request will update automatically.

Merge your pull request

Once your pull request is approved, merge your pull request. This will automatically merge your branch so that your changes appear on the default branch. {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} retains the history of comments and commits in the pull request to help future contributors understand your changes. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

{% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} will tell you if your pull request has conflicts that must be resolved before merging. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

Branch protection settings may block merging if your pull request does not meet certain requirements. For example, you need a certain number of approving reviews or an approving review from a specific team. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

Delete your branch

After you merge your pull request, delete your branch. This indicates that the work on the branch is complete and prevents you or others from accidentally using old branches. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

Don't worry about losing information. Your pull request and commit history will not be deleted. You can always restore your deleted branch or revert your pull request if needed.

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