Leave empty to use smart defaults based on PR type
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Configure your PR type and click Generate// build reusable pr templates with checklists and reviewer prompts
Generate reusable pull request templates with checklists, reviewer prompts, and structured sections for GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.
Leave empty to use smart defaults based on PR type
Ready to generate
Configure your PR type and click GenerateSelect your Git platform (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) and the type of pull request.
Add a title, brief description, reviewer usernames, and any custom checklist items.
Click Generate to build your Markdown template, then copy or download it to use in your repo.
The PR Template Generator helps developers and teams create consistent, structured pull request templates. Instead of writing from scratch each time, generate a Markdown template with a description section, checklist, reviewer notes, and related issue links — all formatted for your platform.
For GitHub, save the file as .github/pull_request_template.md in your repo root. For GitLab, save it as .gitlab/merge_request_templates/Default.md. For Bitbucket, it goes in .bitbucket/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md.
Yes! GitHub and GitLab support multiple templates. For GitHub, place multiple files in .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/ folder and GitHub will let you choose one when opening a PR. Generate each type separately using this tool.
No. All processing happens in your browser. Nothing is sent to any server — your PR title, description, reviewers, and checklist items are never stored or transmitted.
When you leave the checklist blank, the tool automatically fills in sensible checklist items based on your selected PR type. For example, a Bug Fix template includes items like "Root cause identified" and "Regression test added", while a Release template includes "Changelog updated" and "Version bumped".
Absolutely. Select "GitLab" as your platform — the generated template will use GitLab-specific syntax for issue references (Closes #123) and reviewer usernames. Save the output as a .md file in your GitLab project's merge request templates folder.
The generated template includes a "Reviewer Notes" section with pre-written prompts like "focus on the logic in <key file>" and "check error handling edge cases". You can edit these after generating — they serve as starting points to guide your review team.
A pull request (PR) template is a Markdown file that automatically pre-fills the description box whenever a developer opens a new pull request in GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. Instead of facing a blank text box — and likely writing a one-liner like "fixes the thing" — developers see a structured form with sections for description, motivation, checklist, and reviewer notes already laid out.
PR templates are one of the simplest and highest-ROI process improvements a development team can make. They reduce the cognitive load of writing a good PR description by providing scaffolding, and they set a consistent standard that makes code reviews faster, clearer, and more thorough.
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Without a template, pull request quality varies wildly. Some developers write detailed, organized descriptions with context and testing instructions. Others open a PR with just "Update file.js" and no other information. This inconsistency creates friction: reviewers have to ask clarifying questions, context gets lost in Slack messages, and bugs slip through because there was no checklist to verify the obvious things.
A good PR template solves these problems by making structured information the path of least resistance. When the fields are right there, developers fill them in — not because they have to, but because it's easier to fill them than to delete them.
The best PR templates share a handful of core sections. Understanding what to include — and what to omit — is the difference between a template developers actually use and one they bypass with an empty commit message.
This is the "what" and "why" of the PR. A good description section asks for a brief summary of the change and links the motivation — what problem does it solve, what feature does it add? Tying changes to requirements or issue trackers gives reviewers the context they need to evaluate correctness, not just style.
A bulleted list of specific changes helps reviewers mentally prepare before diving into the diff. Even simple bullet points like "Added validation to the email field" or "Refactored auth middleware to use JWT" make the diff significantly easier to navigate.
One of the most valuable — and most often skipped — sections. Include the environment, steps to reproduce the change's behavior, and any edge cases you've tested. Reviewers who can run through the feature or fix themselves catch significantly more bugs than those who only read the code.
Checklists are the secret weapon of PR templates. A well-crafted checklist turns review prep into a deliberate process rather than a mental scan. Items like "I have commented hard-to-understand areas" or "No debug code left in production" catch issues before they reach reviewers. The key is tailoring the checklist to the PR type — a hotfix checklist should include rollback plans; a docs PR checklist should verify links work.
This section invites the author to call out areas that deserve extra scrutiny. "Please focus on the logic in the payment handler" or "Check that the SQL query uses the correct index" gives reviewers specific guidance that makes the review more targeted and effective.
Each major Git platform supports PR/MR templates slightly differently:
GitHub looks for templates in three locations: the repo root, a docs/ folder, or a .github/ folder. The file must be named PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md (case-insensitive). For multiple templates — so developers can choose "Bug Fix" vs "Feature" — place files in .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/ and GitHub adds a dropdown when opening a PR.
GitLab stores MR templates in .gitlab/merge_request_templates/. Each file becomes a selectable template option when creating a merge request. Use descriptive filenames like Feature.md, Bug_Fix.md, or Hotfix.md. GitLab also supports a default template named Default.md.
Bitbucket supports a single default template at .bitbucket/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md (or in a PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/ folder for multiple templates, in Bitbucket Cloud). Bitbucket templates support the same Markdown syntax, though the issue-linking syntax differs from GitHub and GitLab.
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different things. A PR template is the Markdown file that pre-fills the description box — it's a structural scaffold. A checklist is one section within that template, using Markdown task list syntax (- [ ] item) that renders as interactive checkboxes on GitHub and GitLab.
Both serve different purposes: the template ensures no section is forgotten, while the checklist enforces a consistent review process. The most effective setups combine both — a well-structured template that includes a type-specific checklist tailored to what that kind of change actually requires.
Templates fail when they're too long, too generic, or too mandatory. Here are principles that keep them effective:
Keep it scannable. Use headers and bullets. Reviewers skim — structure helps them find the information they need without reading every word.
Make sections optional where appropriate. Not every PR needs screenshots or a rollback plan. Use HTML comments to guide without forcing — <!-- Add screenshots if applicable --> lets authors skip when irrelevant.
Tailor checklists by PR type. A generic "did you test this?" checklist is less useful than a type-specific one. A refactor checklist should ask "is behavior unchanged?" — a feature checklist should ask "are edge cases handled?"
Review and update templates regularly. As your codebase and team evolve, so should your templates. Treat them like documentation — schedule a quarterly review to add new checklist items, remove obsolete sections, and keep them aligned with your actual workflow.
Commit templates with your code. PR templates are code. They belong in your repo, reviewed like any other change. Use this tool to draft a new template, then open a PR for the template itself — using the template if you already have one.
The PR Template Generator builds a structured Markdown file from your inputs. Select your platform to get platform-specific syntax for issue references and reviewer mentions. Choose a PR type to get a smart default checklist tuned for that kind of change. Add optional title, description, and reviewer usernames for a more personalized template.
The generated output is pure Markdown — no proprietary formatting, no external dependencies. Copy it directly into your repository, or download it as a .md file ready to commit. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is stored or sent anywhere.