# What is a pull request?

> A pull request (PR) asks to merge one branch's changes into the main version, with the changes, comments and test results on one page. Explained simply.

Source: https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/pull-request · Updated 2026-10-19 · Free from Stepthrough (https://learn.ynteractive.com)

[Web apps](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary#topic-web-apps) · [AI glossary](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary)

Quick answer

A pull request (PR) is a request to merge one branch's changes into the main version of a project. It shows exactly what changed, collects comments and test results, and waits for a person to approve and merge it. Nothing goes live until it is merged.

Last updated October 19, 2026

[Take the free module →](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/ai-apps-worth-knowing/21)Module 21 of the free [AI Apps Worth Knowing](https://learn.ynteractive.com/courses/ai-apps-worth-knowing) course, about 15 minutes. No account needed.

Updated October 19, 2026 · By [Robert Breen](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/about)

## Why it matters for a small business

Every change to a client site needs a moment where someone accountable says yes. Without one, approvals sit in email threads, nobody can find what was agreed, and a bug traces back to someone changing something. A pull request puts the change, the discussion and the proof of testing on one numbered page.

That makes it a natural [human in the loop](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/human-in-the-loop) step for AI coding. The agent can write and test as much as it likes on its own branch, while merging stays with a person. Months later the PR still shows who approved what and when, which is the [audit trail](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/audit-trail) a client or an auditor will ask for.

## What pull request #12 carried

| Part | In the Kosuke lesson |
| --- | --- |
| Session | Fee table on the Services page |
| Branch | kosuke/chat-7fq2mx |
| Proof | QA Report linked, 5 passed |
| Label | qa: passed |
| Next step | Merge on GitHub as usual |

## In a real lesson: Preview Every Website Change Before Your Client Sees It using Kosuke

In [Preview Every Website Change Before Your Client Sees It using Kosuke](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/kosuke-preview-website-changes-before-client-sees), the pull request comes last, after Calder & Finch CPAs have clicked through the shared preview and said yes. You click **Open PR** under the message box. The agent saves its work and opens a pull request on GitHub with the QA Report linked in it.

A **Ready for review** banner then shows **#12**, labelled **qa: passed**. The lesson stops there on purpose: you or your developer merge it on GitHub as usual, and the session moves to Completed. Kosuke's Get started checklist lists the two moments separately, **Open a pull request** and **Merge your first PR**, because opening is a request and merging is the decision. The [preview deployment](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/preview-deployment) came first so the decision rests on what the client actually tried.

[Try this lesson free](https://learn.ynteractive.com/modules/kosuke-preview-changes) or [read the step-by-step guide](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/kosuke-preview-website-changes-before-client-sees).

## Common confusions

### Pull request vs branch

A [Git branch](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/git-branch) holds the changes. A pull request is the review page that asks for them to be merged into main.

### Pull request vs commit

A commit is one saved step. A pull request bundles all of a branch's commits into a single change to review.

## Tips

- Read the summary and the test results before looking at any code.
- Merge only after the client has approved the preview.
- Ask the agent to describe the change in plain words in the PR.

## Related terms

[Git branch](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/git-branch) · [Preview deployment](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/preview-deployment) · [Human in the loop](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/human-in-the-loop) · [Audit trail](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/audit-trail) · [Approval workflow](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/approval-workflow) · [Sandbox environment](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/sandbox-environment)

## More Web apps terms

[Request body (payload)](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/request-body) · [Responsive design](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/responsive-design) · [Secrets and environment variables](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/environment-variables) · [Submission states](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/submission-states)

## Where you use it: free lessons

- [Preview Every Website Change Before Your Client Sees It using Kosuke](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/kosuke-preview-website-changes-before-client-sees) (Kosuke, 15 min)

## AI tools that use it

- [Kosuke](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/ai-tools/coding-developer#tool-kosuke) ([free lesson](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/kosuke-preview-website-changes-before-client-sees))

[More terms by tool](https://learn.ynteractive.com/content/glossary/ai-tool-terms)

## Frequently asked questions

**Why is it called a pull request?**

You are asking the project owner to pull your branch's changes into the main version. GitLab calls the same thing a merge request.

**Who should merge a pull request?**

Someone who did not write the change and is accountable for the site, such as the agency owner or the client's developer.

**Can I close a pull request without merging?**

Yes. Closing it leaves the live site unchanged, and the branch and discussion stay on record.

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