---
title: "What is PR in GitHub?"  
description: "What is PR in GitHub?"  
author: "Ravi Vishwakarma"  
published: 2026-07-28  
updated: 2026-07-28  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/116989/what-is-pr-in-github  
category: "programming"  
tags: ["github", "git", "programming language"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# What is PR in GitHub?

## What is PR in GitHub?

## Answers

### Answer by Ravi Vishwakarma

> In GitHub, **PR** stands for **Pull Request**.
>
> A [Pull Request](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/161800/how-do-you-assign-reviewers-or-labels-to-a-pull-request-using-github-workflows) is a way to propose changes you've made in one branch and ask for those changes to be reviewed and merged into another branch (usually `main` or `master`).

### How a Pull Request Works

- **Create a new branch**

   - Example: `feature/login-page`

- **Make your changes**

   - Add new features, fix bugs, or update documentation.

- **Commit your changes**

```plaintext
git add .
git commit -m "Add login page"
```

- **Push the branch to GitHub**

```plaintext
git push origin feature/login-page
```

- **Open a Pull Request**

   - On GitHub, compare `feature/login-page` with `main`.
   - Add a title and description explaining the changes.
   - Request reviewers if needed.

- **Code Review**

   - Team members review the code.
   - They can approve it, request changes, or leave comments.

- **Merge the PR**

   - Once approved and all checks pass, the Pull Request is merged into the target branch.

### Why Use Pull Requests?

- Enables [**code reviews**](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/342309/using-claude-for-code-reviews-and-security-checks) before merging.
- Encourages **team collaboration**.
- Runs [**automated tests**](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/156437/what-is-automation-testing-and-what-are-the-benefits-of-automation-testing) using GitHub Actions.
- Keeps a record of discussions and decisions.
- Helps prevent bugs from reaching the main branch.

### Example

Suppose your repository has this structure:

```plaintext
main
 ├── README.md
 └── app.py
```

You create a branch:

```plaintext
feature/dark-mode
```

After adding dark mode, you open a Pull Request:

```plaintext
feature/dark-mode  ─────────▶  main
          (Pull Request)
```

Your teammates review the changes, suggest improvements if necessary, and once approved, the PR is merged into `main`.

### Common Pull Request Terms

- **Base branch**: The branch you want to merge into (e.g., `main`).
- **Compare branch**: The branch containing your changes.
- **Reviewer**: A person who checks your code.
- **Approval**: Confirmation that the changes are acceptable.
- **Merge**: Incorporating the changes into the base branch.
- **Conflict**: When changes in two branches overlap and must be resolved before merging.

> In short, a **Pull Request** is GitHub's collaboration mechanism for reviewing, discussing, and safely merging code changes into a project.\


---

Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/116989/what-is-pr-in-github

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