Pull requests
Open a pull request from two branches, review it with approvals and line comments, and merge or close it.
A pull request proposes merging one branch (the compare branch) into another (the base branch). On gitdb.co you can compare the branches, discuss the change line by line, approve it or request changes, and merge it.
Open a pull request
- Push the branch with your changes.
- Open the repository's Pull requests tab and click New pull request.
- On Open a pull request ("Choose two branches to see what changed and propose the merge"), pick the base branch and the compare branch. The base starts as the repository's default branch.
- Check the live diff preview that appears under the pickers.
- Enter a Title (required) and, optionally, a Description.
- Click Create pull request →. You're taken to the new pull request.
The two branches must be different. If the repository has no branches yet, the page says "No branches to compare — Push at least one branch to open a pull request."
Find pull requests
The Pull requests tab has three filters: Open, Closed, and Merged. It shows 30 pull requests at a time; click Load more at the bottom for the next page.
The pull request page
The top of the page shows the title and number, a state badge (Open, Merged, or Closed), who opened it and when, and the branches (compare → base). Below that come the description, the merge and close actions, the Reviews section, and the diff of every changed file.
Review a pull request
In the Reviews section, optionally write a summary in "Leave a review summary (optional)", then click one of:
- Approve: shown as "approved these changes".
- Request changes: shown as "requested changes".
- Comment: shown as "commented".
You can review an open pull request more than once. When branch protection requires approvals, only each reviewer's latest review counts, and only if it was made on the pull request's current commit. Pushing new commits to the compare branch means earlier approvals no longer count toward the requirement.
Comment on lines
- In the diff, hover over a line and click the + that appears.
- Write your comment in "Add a comment on this line" and click Comment.
Comments on the same line form a conversation. In a conversation you can:
- Reply to add another comment.
- Resolve a comment when it has been dealt with, or Unresolve it again. Resolved comments are marked "resolved".
When the line a comment was made on changes in a later push, the conversation moves to Outdated conversations ("line changed since posted") below the diff. Expand it to read and reply.
Comments, replies, and reviews are only possible while the pull request is open.
Merge a pull request
Only organization owners and admins see the merge box. It offers the merge methods enabled for the repository:
| Method | Label |
|---|---|
| Merge commit | Create a merge commit |
| Squash | Squash and merge |
| Rebase | Rebase and merge |
Optionally enter a "Merge commit message (optional)", then click Merge pull request →.
gitdb.co checks the merge before it happens. If it can't merge, the merge box shows the reason, for example:
| Message | What it means |
|---|---|
| merge blocked: a reviewer has requested changes | A reviewer's latest review on the current commit is Request changes, and the base branch requires approvals |
| merge blocked: 1 of 2 required approvals | The base branch's protection rule requires more approvals |
| nothing to merge: the pull request introduces no changes | The compare branch has nothing that isn't already in the base branch |
Required approvals come from the base branch's protection rule. Owners and admins bypass that approval check unless the rule has Enforce rules on administrators turned on. Because only owners and admins can merge, required approvals only block a merge when that option is on.
Close a pull request
Click Close pull request to close it without merging. It then appears under the Closed filter.