How to make your first pull request on GitHub
A pull request (PR) proposes your commits for review and merge. This walkthrough covers fork-to-merge with the habits that make maintainers say yes.
Fork, clone, and branch
Click Fork on the upstream repository, clone your fork, and add the original remote as upstream if you will sync later. Create a branch from the default branch with a descriptive name such as fix/typo-readme or fix/issue-123.
- git clone <your-fork-url>
- git checkout -b fix/short-description
- Keep the branch focused on one issue
Make a reviewable change
Match existing style. Avoid drive-by refactors. Run the project’s lint and test commands when documented. Commit with a message that explains why, not only what.
Open the pull request
Push your branch and open a PR against the upstream default branch. Fill the template. Reference the issue with Fixes #123 or Closes #123. Describe how you tested. Screenshots help for UI changes.
Expect review comments. Push follow-up commits to the same branch — the PR updates automatically. Stay polite and specific when you disagree.
After merge
Delete your branch, pull upstream changes into your fork, and pick a related issue while context is fresh. Your second PR teaches more than any tutorial.