What Makes a Good PR Description?

Difficulty: Beginner

Question

What elements make a great PR description? What information do maintainers expect to see?

Answer

A great PR description makes the reviewer's job easy. It clearly explains what the change does, why it's needed, and how it was tested. Maintainers review many PRs, so a well-written description increases your chances of a fast, smooth review.

Every PR should include: a concise title following Conventional Commits (e.g., feat: add dark mode toggle), the issue it closes (Closes #123), a summary of what was changed and why, screenshots or screen recordings for UI changes, testing instructions, and any relevant environment notes.

Good PR descriptions also include context about the approach taken and why alternatives were rejected. This shows thoughtfulness and can prevent review cycles debating approaches that were already considered.

Include a checklist of verification steps the reviewer should follow. This reduces back-and-forth and demonstrates that you've tested your changes thoroughly. If the PR has breaking changes or migration steps, call those out prominently.

Key points

• Always link to the issue your PR addresses
• Include screenshots for any visual changes
• Explain your approach and why you chose it over alternatives
• Include testing instructions and a verification checklist

Concepts covered

PR, Communication, Documentation, Review