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Using GitHub Codespaces for pull requests

In this article

You can use GitHub Codespaces in your web browser, or in Visual Studio Code to create pull requests, review pull requests, and address review comments.

About pull requests in GitHub Codespaces

GitHub Codespaces provides you with many of the capabilities you might need to work with pull requests:

  • Create a pull request - Using either the Terminal and Git commands or the Source Control view, you can create pull requests just as you would on GitHub.com. If the repository uses a pull request template, you'll be able to use this within the Source Control view.
  • Open a pull request – You can open an existing pull request in a codespace, provided you have codespace access to the branch that is being merged in.
  • Review a pull request - Once you have opened a pull request in a codespace, you can use the "GitHub Pull Request" view to add review comments and approve pull requests. You can also use GitHub Codespaces to view review comments.

Opening a pull request in Codespaces

  1. Under your repository name, click Pull requests.

    Issues and pull requests tab selection

  2. In the list of pull requests, click the pull request you'd like to open in Codespaces.

  3. On the right-hand side of your screen, click Code.

  4. In the Codespaces tab, click the plus sign ()

    Option to open PR in a codespace

    A codespace is created for the pull request branch and is opened in your default editor for GitHub Codespaces.

Reviewing a pull request in Codespaces

  1. With your default editor set to either Visual Studio Code or Visual Studio Code for Web, open the pull request in a codespace, as described in "Opening a pull request" above.
  2. In the Activity Bar, click the GitHub Pull Request view. This view only appears when you open a pull request in a codespace. Option to open PR in a codespace
  3. To review a specific file, click the Open File icon in the sidebar. Option to open PR in a codespace
  4. To add review comments, click the + icon next to the line number. Type your review comment and then click Start Review. Option to open PR in a codespace
  5. When you are finished adding review comments, from the sidebar you can choose to either submit the comments, approve the changes, or request changes. Option to open PR in a codespace

For more information on reviewing a pull request, see "Reviewing proposed changes in a pull request."

View comments from a review in Codespaces

Once you have received feedback on a pull request, you can open it in a codespace in your web browser, or in VS Code, to see the review comments. From there you can respond to comments, add reactions, or dismiss the review.

Option to open PR in a codespace