Pull Requests are a normal part of working with GitHub. You write code in a branch, push it to GitHub, then open a Pull Request so your team can review and merge it.
Most developers create Pull Requests from the GitHub website. That works fine.
But once you get comfortable with the terminal, you can do the whole flow without leaving your editor or command line.
In this post, we will go through a simple and practical workflow:
- update your local
mainbranch - create a new feature branch
- commit your changes
- push the branch to GitHub
- create a Pull Request from the terminal using GitHub CLI
Let’s use a real example: you are building a login page.
First, Know the Difference: git pull vs Pull Request
A lot of beginners get confused here.
git pull and Pull Request are not the same thing.
git pull
git pull means you are taking the latest code from GitHub and bringing it into your local project.
Example:
git pull origin main
This updates your local branch with the latest code from the remote main branch.
Pull Request
A Pull Request means you are asking to merge your branch changes into another branch, usually main or develop.
So the simple idea is:
git pull = bring latest code to your computer
Pull Request = ask to merge your code into main
To create a Pull Request from the terminal, the usual flow is:
push your branch → create PR with GitHub CLI
Step 1: Update Your Main Branch
Before starting new work, always get the latest code from the main branch.
git checkout main
git pull origin main
This helps you avoid working on old code.
Think of it like this: before building your new feature, you are making sure your project is fresh and up to date.
Step 2: Create a New Branch
Now create a new branch for your work.
git checkout -b feature/login-page
Here, feature/login-page is your working branch.
Good branch names are short, clear, and meaningful.
Examples:
feature/navbar
fix/login-error
update/readme
feature/login-page
A clear branch name helps your teammates understand what you are working on before they even open the code.
Step 3: Make Your Code Changes
Now do your actual work.
For example, you may add:
- a login page layout
- email and password fields
- a submit button
- basic styling
After changing the code, check the current Git status:
git status
This shows which files were changed, added, or deleted.
Step 4: Add Your Files
To add all changed files:
git add .
The . means Git will add all changed files in the current project.
If you only want to add one file, use the file path:
git add src/App.jsx
This is useful when you changed many files but only want to commit some of them.
Step 5: Commit Your Changes
Now create a commit:
git commit -m "Add login page UI"
A good commit message should be short but clear.
Good examples:
git commit -m "Fix navbar responsiveness"
git commit -m "Update README installation steps"
git commit -m "Add user login form"
Avoid unclear messages like:
git commit -m "changes"
git commit -m "update"
git commit -m "fix"
Your future self and your teammates will thank you for writing clear commit messages.
Step 6: Push Your Branch to GitHub
Now push your branch to GitHub:
git push -u origin feature/login-page
You can also push the current branch like this:
git push -u origin HEAD
This is very handy because you do not need to type the full branch name.
After this, your local branch exists on GitHub too.
Step 7: Install GitHub CLI
To create a Pull Request from the terminal, you need GitHub CLI.
GitHub CLI gives you the gh command.
On Windows
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run:
winget install --id GitHub.cli --source winget
After installing, close the terminal and open a new one.
Then check:
gh --version
On macOS
If you use Homebrew, run:
brew install gh
Then check:
gh --version
If you see the version number, GitHub CLI is installed correctly.
Step 8: Login to GitHub CLI
You only need to do this once:
gh auth login
You will see some options. In most cases, choose:
GitHub.com
HTTPS
Yes
Login with a web browser
A browser window may open for login and authorization.
After login, check if everything is working:
gh auth status
Once you are logged in, you can create Pull Requests from the terminal without opening the GitHub website.
Step 9: Create a Pull Request from the Terminal
The easiest way is interactive mode:
gh pr create
GitHub CLI will ask you questions like:
Title:
Body:
Base branch:
The base branch is usually:
main
Or, if your team uses develop, then use:
develop
After you answer the questions, GitHub CLI creates the Pull Request and shows you the PR URL.
Create a Pull Request in One Command
You can also create the Pull Request in one line.
gh pr create --base main --head feature/login-page --title "Add login page UI" --body "This PR adds the login page UI with form fields and basic styling."
Let’s understand this command:
--base main
This is the branch where you want to merge your code.
--head feature/login-page
This is your feature branch.
--title
This is the Pull Request title.
--body
This is the Pull Request description.
If you are already inside the feature branch, you can skip --head:
gh pr create --base main --title "Add login page UI" --body "This PR adds the login page UI with form fields and basic styling."
What Should You Write in a Pull Request?
A good Pull Request should explain two things:
- What changed?
- How did you test it?
Here is a simple example.
PR Title
Add login page UI
PR Body
## Summary
- Added login page layout
- Added email and password input fields
- Added submit button styling
## Testing
- Ran the app locally
- Checked the login page in browser
This is clear, professional, and easy to review.
Your reviewer does not need to guess what you did.
Best Way to Write a Multiline PR Body
Sometimes you want a clean Pull Request body with headings and bullet points.
You may try to paste multiline Markdown directly inside --body, but different shells can behave differently.
The safest and cleanest way is to use a body file.
Create a file named:
pr-body.md
Put it in your project root directory:
my-project/
├── src/
├── public/
├── package.json
├── README.md
└── pr-body.md
Inside pr-body.md, write:
## Summary
- Added login page layout
- Added email and password fields
- Added submit button styling
## Testing
- Ran the app locally
- Checked login page in browser
Then create the Pull Request:
gh pr create --base main --head feature/login-page --title "Add login page UI" --body-file pr-body.md
This is usually the best option for real projects.
It keeps your command clean and your PR description easy to edit.
After creating the Pull Request, you can delete pr-body.md if you do not want to keep it in the project.
One-Line Multiline Body Without a File
If you really want to write the body directly in the command, here are safe options.
Bash, Git Bash, or macOS Terminal
gh pr create --base main --head feature/login-page --title "Add login page UI" --body $'## Summary\n- Added login page layout\n- Added email and password fields\n\n## Testing\n- Ran the app locally\n- Checked login page in browser'
Here, \n means a new line.
Windows PowerShell
gh pr create --base main --head feature/login-page --title "Add login page UI" --body "## Summary`n- Added login page layout`n- Added email and password fields`n`n## Testing`n- Ran the app locally`n- Checked login page in browser"
In PowerShell, newline is written as:
`n
Still, for most real work, I recommend using --body-file.
It is simpler and less error-prone.
Check Your Pull Request
After creating the Pull Request, you can check its status:
gh pr status
To see Pull Requests in the repository:
gh pr list
To view the current branch’s Pull Request:
gh pr view
To open it in the browser:
gh pr view --web
Opening the browser is optional. You do not need it to create the PR.
The Full Practical Workflow
Here is the complete flow you can use every day:
git checkout main
git pull origin main
git checkout -b feature/my-work
# after code changes
git status
git add .
git commit -m "Add my work"
git push -u origin HEAD
gh pr create --base main --title "Add my work" --body "Added my work and tested locally."
For a cleaner Pull Request body:
gh pr create --base main --title "Add my work" --body-file pr-body.md
That is the core workflow.
Common Problems and Fixes
Problem 1: gh: command not found
This means GitHub CLI is not installed, or your terminal has not refreshed yet.
On Windows:
winget install --id GitHub.cli --source winget
Then close the terminal and open it again.
On macOS:
brew install gh
Then check:
gh --version
Problem 2: You Are Not Logged In
If you see a message saying you are not logged in, run:
gh auth login
Then check:
gh auth status
Problem 3: Current Branch Is Not Pushed
If GitHub CLI says your branch is not pushed yet, run:
git push -u origin HEAD
Then try again:
gh pr create
Problem 4: Pull Request Is Created from the Wrong Branch
First, check your current branch:
git branch --show-current
If you are on the wrong branch, switch to the correct one:
git checkout feature/login-page
Then create the Pull Request:
gh pr create --base main
