Chapter 34: Git GitHub Send Pull Request

A Pull Request (PR) is GitHub’s polite way of saying:

“I made some changes in my fork / branch. Would you please pull these changes into your main project?”

It’s not a Git command — it’s a GitHub feature (although GitLab calls it Merge Request, Bitbucket calls it Pull Request too).

Why Pull Requests are so powerful (real 2026 reasons)

• Code review before merging → catches bugs early
• Discussion thread → explains why you changed something
• Automatic checks (GitHub Actions, CI tests, linting)
• History of conversation stays forever
• You get credit in commit history even if maintainer rewrites it
• Builds your public profile (green squares + contribution graph)
• Used even in private company repos (most teams require PRs)

Realistic Full Example – Send a Real Pull Request (beginner-friendly)

We’ll do a safe, small, realistic contribution to a very welcoming open-source project.

Target repo (still active & beginner-friendly in 2026): https://github.com/public-apis/public-apis (A massive list of free public APIs — many small improvements welcome)

Goal: Add one missing free API to the “Development” category (or fix a typo if you prefer)

Step 1 – Fork the repository (if not done already)

1. Go to https://github.com/public-apis/public-apis
2. Click Fork (top-right)
3. Create fork under your account

Now your copy lives at: https://github.com/**your-username**/public-apis

Step 2 – Clone your fork locally

Step 3 – Create a clear branch

(Use prefix like add/, fix/, docs/ + short description)

Step 4 – Make the small change

Open README.md → find section “Development” (or any category you like)

Add one line (example):

Save file.

Step 5 – Commit with excellent message

Step 6 – Push your branch to your fork

Step 7 – Create the Pull Request (this is the “send” part)

Go to your fork on GitHub: https://github.com/your-username/public-apis

You should see a yellow banner near the top:

“add/free-openai-api-wrapper had recent pushes less than a minute ago”

Click the green button Compare & pull request

GitHub opens the magic PR creation screen:

Very important fields to fill carefully:

1. base repository → should auto-set to public-apis/public-apis (the original) head repository → your-username/public-apis base: main ← compare: add/free-openai-api-wrapper

2. Title (first line people see – make it clear & conventional)

   text

   PHP

   0 1 2 3 4 5 6

   docs: add OpenRouter free-tier LLM API wrapper to Development section

3. Description (explain why + what + how to test)

   text

   PHP

   0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

   ## Changes   - Added OpenRouter to the Development category - It's a unified API that routes to many LLMs with a generous free tier   ## Why this is useful   Developers often need one endpoint to access multiple models without managing multiple API keys.   ## Testing   No code changed — only README documentation   Thank you for curating this amazing list of free APIs — it's helping so many learners!

4. (Optional but nice)

   • Add labels (if repo has them)
   • Assign yourself
   • Link related issue (if any)

5. Click green Create pull request

→ Done! 🎉 Your Pull Request is now live in the original repository: https://github.com/public-apis/public-apis/pull/XXXX

What happens next? (real-world flow 2026)

1. Maintainers get notified (email / GitHub notifications)

2. Someone reviews → sees your change is safe & useful

3. Possible outcomes:

   • Merged quickly (especially docs/API additions)
   • “Looks good, can you add pricing info?” → you edit locally → commit → push → PR auto-updates
   • Closed with reason (“already listed” / “not fitting scope”) → no problem, you learned
   • Ignored → normal for popular repos; try smaller ones next time

4. If merged → your commit appears in official history → Your profile contribution graph gets green squares → You can link it in resume / LinkedIn

Quick Pull Request Creation Checklist (save this)

1. Fork → clone your fork
2. Create branch: git switch -c fix/something-helpful
3. Change → commit with conventional message
4. git push -u origin your-branch
5. Go to your fork → Compare & pull request
6. Set base = original repo main
7. Write clear title + kind description
8. Submit → wait politely → respond to feedback

Want to do a real PR together right now?

I can give you 5–10 very beginner-friendly repos (with “good first issue” label or easy docs fixes). We can pick one → fix a typo or add a link → create PR live.

Or want to see how to handle “changes requested” feedback step-by-step?

Just tell me — we’ll do it together. Contributing via PR is one of the fastest ways to level up your Git skills, build confidence, and make your GitHub profile shine. You’re going to love this! 🚀