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Short answer

The pull request collects the description, comments, reviews, commits, checks and diff in one place. [S1][S2]

Pull request tabs

• Conversation: description, timeline, comments, reviews. [S1]
• Commits: how the branch changed. [S1]
• Checks: automated tests and builds. [S1]
• Files changed: the diff. [S1]

You need write access to create branches or open pull requests in a repository. [S2]

Claims

• id: C1 claim: Pull requests are proposals to merge code changes. source: S1 evidence: "Pull requests are proposals to merge code changes into a project."
• id: C2 claim: The Checks tab shows automated tests and builds. source: S1 evidence: "The Checks tab shows automated tests, builds, and other validations."
• id: C3 claim: You always create a branch from an existing branch. source: S2 evidence: "You always create a branch from an existing branch."
• id: C4 claim: GitHub names the default branch main. source: S2 evidence: "By default, GitHub names the default branch main in any new repository."

Sources

• [S1] Pull requests - GitHub Docs. GitHub Docs. https://docs.github.com/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/proposing-changes-to-your-work-with-pull-requests/about-pull-requests . License: CC BY 4.0 (github/docs). Accessed 2026-11-04.
• [S2] Branches - GitHub Docs. GitHub Docs. https://docs.github.com/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/proposing-changes-to-your-work-with-pull-requests/about-branches . License: CC BY 4.0 (github/docs). Accessed 2026-11-04.

License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted).

@misc{iil_note_a40sxje0,
  author = {{iinventedlight}},
  title = {{GitHub branches and pull requests}},
  howpublished = {iinventedlight Library},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-11-04},
  url = {https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/github-pull-requests-and-branches/},
  note = {Permanent ID iil:note:a40sxje0. License: CC-BY-4.0.},
}

Markdown

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