If you’re starting to learn Git, you’ve probably come across the term pull request. But here’s something you might not know: pull requests aren’t a feature of Git itself.
So what are they, and why are they important?
The Problem: Too Many Cooks
Open-source projects often have hundreds of contributors from around the world. These projects are hosted on platforms like GitHub or GitLab, which sit on top of Git and add extra features—like permissions and collaboration tools.
Giving every contributor write access to the main public repository (also called the upstream) would be chaotic. That’s why the maintainer team protects the upstream repository with read-only access for outsiders. Only trusted maintainers can directly modify it.
The Solution: Fork + Pull Request
So, how can someone contribute code if they don’t have write access?
Here’s the workflow:
Fork the original repository (this creates your own copy (on the same hosting service as the public upstream repository), where you do have write access).
Clone your fork to your computer and make changes.
Push your changes back to your fork.
Create a pull request asking the maintainers to review and merge your changes into the upstream.
A pull request is exactly what it sounds like: a request to "pull" your changes into someone else’s repository.
More Than Just a Merge
Pull requests also act as code review tools. Maintainers can:
View every commit and line of code you changed.
Ask questions or request improvements.
Discuss your contribution with you and others in the community.
Decide whether or not to accept it.
If everything looks good, they click “Merge”—and boom! Your contribution is part of the main project.
Why Pull Requests Matter
Pull requests are a powerful way to scale collaboration. They let (potentially) hundreds or thousands of contributors safely suggest changes without giving direct write access to the source. Plus, beyond open-source, pull requests are great for teams—they help catch bugs, improve code quality, and encourage discussion before anything is merged.
In short, pull requests are the glue that hold collaborative development together. They're not about Git commands—they're about making teamwork safe, scalable, and structured.
Want to learn how pull requests fit into the bigger Git picture? Check out this video:
Happy contributing!
I attended the University of Maryland where I graduated with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science. Since then, I’ve gathered experience in the tech industry, both as a software engineer and people manager. My longest stint was 7 years at Amazon where I… read more.
