Complete, abandon, or revert pull requests

Azure DevOps Services | Azure DevOps Server 2022 - Azure DevOps Server 2019

Visual Studio 2019 | Visual Studio 2022

Once all required reviewers approve your pull request (PR) and the PR meets all branch policy requirements, you can merge your changes into the target branch and complete the PR. Or if you decide not to proceed with the changes in the PR, you can abandon the PR.

To address reviewers' changes, and respond to and resolve review comments, see Address comments.

Prerequisites

• Repos must be enabled on your project. If the Repos hub and associated pages don't display, see Turn an Azure DevOps service on or off to reenable Repos.

• To complete your PR, you must be a member of the Contributors security group, or have the corresponding permissions, in the project the PR is in.

• To contribute to a PR, you must be a member of the Readers security group or have the corresponding permissions.

• To view or review PRs, you must have Basic or higher access to the Azure DevOps project.

• If you aren't a member of the project you want to contribute to, get added.

  Note

  For public projects, users granted Stakeholder access have full access to Azure Repos.

• To learn more about permissions and access, see Default Git repository and branch permissions and About access levels.

• In Azure DevOps Services, you can manage PRs and other resources from the Azure command-line interface (CLI) with the azure-devops extension. To learn how to work with the Azure DevOps Services CLI, see Get started with Azure DevOps CLI. Azure Repos CLI commands for PRs use az repos pr.

Check merge changes

When you complete a PR, Git adds a new merge commit to the end of the main branch. This merge commit links the earlier histories of the main branch and the PR source branch. To see the preview merge commit and check for merge conflicts, select the More options menu at upper right on a PR Overview page, and then select View merge changes.

If you changed the target branch after creating the PR, select Restart merge to create a new preview merge commit and update the merge change diff view.

Review branch policies

Teams can set branch policies that require PRs in protected branches to meet specific criteria before the PRs can merge. You can see the branch policies in effect for your PR, whether they're required for merge, and whether the PR is passing or failing.

Browser

The PR Overview tab summarizes branch policies that are passing or failing for the PR. The overview lists only failed policies, but you can see all the policy checks by selecting View <n> checks.

On the PR Overview page, branch policy requirements have an icon. Select More options next to the requirement and then select View policy to go to the branch's Branch Policies page in Project Settings.

Visual Studio

You can open a PR in Visual Studio and then review branch policies as described in the Browser tab.

To open a PR from Visual Studio, in the Git menu, select <your Git service> > View Pull Requests, and select a pull request to open it.

Visual Studio 2019 version 16.8 and later versions provides a Git version control experience while maintaining the Team Explorer Git user interface. To use Team Explorer, uncheck Tools > Options > Preview Features > New Git user experience from the menu bar. You can exercise Git features from either interface interchangeably.

To access PRs from Visual Studio Team Explorer:

1. Connect to your project from Visual Studio.

2. Select View > Team Explorer to open Team Explorer. You can also press Ctrl+\, Ctrl+M.

3. From Home, select Pull Requests to view lists of PRs opened by you or assigned to you.

4. To open a PR in the web portal and view the policies in effect, right-click the PR and select Open in browser.

Azure DevOps CLI

To see all branch policies that are in effect for a PR, use az repos pr policy list with the required id parameter.

az repos pr policy list --id
                        [--detect {false, true}]
                        [--org]
                        [--query-examples]
                        [--skip]
                        [--subscription]
                        [--top]

Parameters

Parameter	Description
--id	ID of the pull request. Required.
--detect	Automatically detect organization. Accepted values: false, true.
--org --organization	Azure DevOps organization URL. You can configure the default organization by using az devops configure -d organization=<ORG_URL>. Required if not configured as default or picked up via git config. Example: https://dev.azure.com/MyOrganizationName/.
--query-examples	Recommended JMESPath string. You can copy one of the queries and paste it after the --query parameter in double quotation marks to see the results. You can add one or more positional keywords so suggestions are based on these keywords.
--skip	Number of policies to skip.
--subscription	Name or ID of subscription. You can configure the default subscription by using az account set -s <NAME_OR_ID>.
--top	Maximum number of policies to list.

Example

For example, to see the policies in effect on PR #28, run the following command:

az repos pr policy list --id 28 --output table

Evaluation ID                         Policy                                         Blocking    Status    Expired    Build ID
------------------------------------  ---------------------------------------------  ----------  --------  ---------  ----------
84e7ca6d-0b42-4819-9f62-f41df5e319f3  Minimum number of reviewers (1)                True        Approved
1ba061d8-9e9f-401b-ab61-e2ed1c200aba  Required reviewers (1)                         True
37620a4b-adc4-483d-9ca2-3f4e6ffe2990  Comment requirements                           False       Approved
34b7cae8-812a-4c14-9229-f71a0e662e8b  Required reviewers (1) ([Fabrikam Fiber]\Web)  False
a6e4380e-9f38-4aa5-863c-0fc496027362  Work item linking                              False       Rejected

Complete a pull request

After you resolve any merge conflicts, and the PR meets all branch policies and has all required approvals, you can complete the PR.

Browser

1. Select Complete at upper right to complete the PR. Or select the dropdown arrow next to the Complete button, and select one of the options.

   

   • Complete: Complete the PR now, and merge the changes to the target branch.
   • Set auto-complete: Configure the PR to complete and merge once it meets all required branch policies.
   • Mark as draft: Return the PR to draft status and remove all votes.
   • Abandon: Close the PR without merging the changes.

2. In the Complete pull request pane, under Merge type, select one of the merge options.

   

   • Merge (no fast forward): Merge with a non-linear history that preserves all commits.
   • Squash commit: Merge with a linear history that combines all source commits into a single commit on the target, or squash merges the PR. Be aware that a new commit will be created for the target branch without keeping the commit history from the source branch.
   • Rebase and fast-forward: Rebase the source commits onto the target and fast-forward.
   • Semi-linear merge: Rebase source commits onto the target and create a two-parent merge.

   Note

   Existing policies are enforced. For example, if your branch currently has a "squash merge only" policy, you have to change that policy if you want to use another merge type.

3. Select any of the following post-completion options. Some options aren't available for some merge types.

   • Complete associated work items after merging: Complete any linked work items.
   • Delete <branch name> after merging: Delete the PR's source branch after merging.
   • Customize merge commit message: Add a custom merge commit message. If you select this option, update the merge commit message.
   • Override branch policies and enable merge. Force the merge even if the PR doesn't satisfy all branch policies. This option is only available if you have Exempt from policy enforcement permission.

4. Select Complete merge.

When you complete the merge, any linked work items automatically update to show the PR completion.

Visual Studio

To complete a PR, open the PR in the browser, and on the Overview page, select Complete or set other options.

To open a PR from Visual Studio, in the Git menu, select <your Git service> > View Pull Requests, and select a pull request to open it.

To access PRs from Visual Studio 2019 Team Explorer:

1. Connect to your project from Visual Studio.

2. Select View > Team Explorer to open Team Explorer. You can also press Ctrl+\, Ctrl+M.

3. From Home, select Pull Requests to view lists of PRs opened by you or assigned to you.

4. To open a PR in the web portal, right-click the PR and select Open in browser.

Azure DevOps CLI

To complete a PR and merge the changes, use az repos pr update to update the PR --status to completed.

For example, to complete PR #21, use:

az repos pr update --id 21 --status completed

Set completion options

You can set PR completion options when you create a PR with az repos pr create, or update creation options in existing PRs with az repos pr update.

PR completion options include:

• bypass-policy {false, true}: Whether to bypass any required policies and complete the pull request once it can be merged.
• bypass-policy-reason: Reason for bypassing required policies.
• delete-source-branch {false, true}: Whether to delete the source branch after the pull request has been completed and merged.
• merge-commit-message: Customize the merge commit message.
• squash {false, true}: Whether to squash the source commits into a single target commit for merge.
• transition-work-items {false, true}: Whether to resolve linked work items when the PR merges.

To set completion options and complete an existing PR, use az repos pr update with the required id parameter.

az repos pr update --id
                   [--auto-complete {false, true}]
                   [--bypass-policy {false, true}]
                   [--bypass-policy-reason]
                   [--delete-source-branch {false, true}]
                   [--description]
                   [--detect {false, true}]
                   [--draft {false, true}]
                   [--merge-commit-message]
                   [--org]
                   [--squash {false, true}]
                   [--status {abandoned, active, completed}]
                   [--subscription]
                   [--title]
                   [--transition-work-items {false, true}]

Parameters

Parameter	Description
--id	ID of the pull request. Required.
--auto-complete	Set the pull request to complete automatically when all policies have passed and the source branch can be merged into the target branch. Accepted values: false, true.
--bypass-policy	Bypass any required policies and complete the pull request once it can be merged. Accepted values: false, true.
--bypass-policy-reason	Reason for bypassing required policies.
--delete-source-branch	Delete the source branch after the pull request is completed and merged into the target branch. Accepted values: false, true.
--description -d	New description for the pull request. Can include Markdown. Each value is new line. For example: --description "First Line" "Second Line".
--detect	Automatically detect organization. Accepted values: false, true.
--draft	Convert the PR to draft mode or publish it. Accepted values: false, true.
--merge-commit-message	Message to display when commits are merged.
--org --organization	Azure DevOps organization URL. You can configure the default organization by using az devops configure -d organization=<ORG_URL>. Required if not configured as default or picked up via git config. Example: https://dev.azure.com/MyOrganizationName/.
--squash	Squash the commits in the source branch when merging into the target branch. Accepted values: false, true.
--status	Set the new state of pull request. Accepted values: abandoned, active, completed.
--subscription	Name or ID of subscription. You can configure the default subscription by using az account set -s <NAME_OR_ID>.
--title	New title for the pull request.
--transition-work-items	Transition any work items linked to the pull request into the next logical state, for example Resolved. Accepted values: false, true.

Example

The following example completes PR #21, deletes its source branch, resolves its linked work items, and adds a merge commit message:

az repos pr update --id 21 --status completed --delete-source-branch true --transition-work-items true --merge-commit-message "This update is complete."

Rebase during PR completion

There are a few situations when rebasing during PR completion isn't possible:

• If a policy on the target branch prohibits using rebase strategies, you need Override branch policies permission to rebase.
• If the PR source branch has policies, you can't rebase it. Rebasing would modify the source branch without going through the policy approval process.
• If you used the Merge Conflict Extension to resolve merge conflicts, you can't rebase. Conflict resolutions applied to a three-way merge are seldom successful or valid when rebasing all the PR commits individually.

In all these cases, you can still rebase your branch locally and then push upstream, or squash-merge your changes when you complete the PR.

Multiple merge base issue

In some cases, a PR has more than one true merge base, and this situation can cause security issues. If the files in the PR have different versions between the merge bases, a multiple merge base warning happens. For more information and remediation, see Multiple merge bases.

Resolve merge conflicts

File changes in your branch can conflict with changes in another branch. When it isn't clear how to merge changes, Git shows the files that conflict on the PR's Overview page. You must resolve any merge conflicts between the PR branch and the target branch before you can merge a PR or set the PR to autocomplete. For instructions on resolving merge conflicts, see Resolve merge conflicts.

Set a pull request to autocomplete

Browser

Select Set auto-complete from the Complete dropdown list to complete and merge the PR changes as soon as conditions satisfy all branch policies. When the PR is completed, you receive an email notification. If a conflict or error prevents PR completion, email notifies you of the issue.

Note

The Set auto-complete option is available in Azure Repos and TFS 2017 and higher when you have branch policies. If you don't see Set auto-complete, you don't have any branch policies. For more information, see Branch policies.

By default, a PR that's set to autocomplete waits only on required policies. In the Enable automatic completion panel, you can choose to wait on optional policies as well.

Starting with TFS 2018 Update 2, the PR Overview page displays the list of outstanding policy criteria the PR is waiting for. If you set a policy to be required in the Enable automatic completion panel, you can set it back to optional on the Overview page.

Select Cancel auto-complete to turn off autocomplete.

A PR set to autocomplete displays an Auto-complete badge on the Pull requests page.

Visual Studio

Open a pull request in the web portal. On the Overview page, select Set auto-complete.

To open a PR from Visual Studio, in the Git menu, select <your Git service> > View Pull Requests, and select a pull request to open it.

To access PRs from Visual Studio 2019 Team Explorer:

1. Connect to your project from Visual Studio.

2. Select View > Team Explorer to open Team Explorer. You can also press Ctrl+\, Ctrl+M.

3. From Home, select Pull Requests to view lists of PRs opened by you or assigned to you.

4. To open a PR in the web portal and view the policies in effect, right-click the PR and select Open in browser.

Azure DevOps CLI

Set autocomplete to complete a PR automatically when it passes all required approvals and branch policies. You can set autocomplete at PR creation, or update an existing PR.

• To set autocomplete at PR creation, use az repos pr create --auto-complete true.
• To update an existing PR to autocomplete, use az repos pr update --id <PR Id> --auto-complete true.

Abandon or reactivate a pull request

Browser

To abandon your changes and your PR without merging, select Abandon from the dropdown list on the Complete button. You can still view the abandoned PR, and it stays linked to work items.

To reactivate an abandoned PR at any time, open the PR from the Abandoned tab in the Pull Request view, and select Reactivate at upper right.

Visual Studio

Open a pull request in the web portal. On the Overview page, select Abandon.

To open the PR in the web portal, use the procedure from Complete a pull request.

Azure DevOps CLI

To abandon a PR without merging the changes, use az repos pr update --id <PR Id> –-status abandoned. You can reactivate the PR by setting the status to active.

Revert a completed pull request

To undo the changes from a PR, follow these steps. For more information, see Undo changes.

1. Open the completed PR and select Revert. This action creates a new branch with changes that undo the PR in an existing target branch in your repo.

2. In the Revert pull request pane:

   1. Under Target branch, select the branch where you want to undo the PR changes.
   2. Under Topic branch name required, change the revert PR branch name if you want.
   3. Select Revert.

3. On the New pull request screen, select Create.

4. Merge the new PR to complete the revert.

Note

The branch created during this revert has a single commit that reverts all the file changes from the original PR. The branch doesn't contain a reverted commit for each of the commits in the original PR.

Next steps

Copy changes with cherry-pick

Related articles

• Pull request update notifications
• About pull requests and permissions