L10 Pr Templates

title: "Pull Request Templates for Open Source Projects" weight: 10 description: "Learn pull request templates for open source: describing changes, linking issues, checklist for completeness, testing required, and streamlining the review process for maintainers." date: 2026-06-28 lastmod: 2026-06-28 tags: [technical-writing, open-source] }

Pull request templates guide contributors to describe their changes clearly, link related issues, complete necessary checks, and make the review process efficient for maintainers.

In this lesson, you will learn how to create effective PR templates that streamline contributions and reviews.

What You'll Learn

You will learn PR template structure, linking issues, completeness checklists, and review process optimization.

Why It Matters

Well-structured PRs get reviewed faster. PR templates ensure contributors include everything maintainers need to review and merge.

## Description
Briefly describe your changes.

## Related Issue
Fixes #(issue)

## Type of Change
- [ ] Bug fix
- [ ] New feature
- [ ] Documentation update

## Testing
- [ ] Tests added/updated
- [ ] All tests pass

Teacher Mindset

Think of a PR template as a pre-flight checklist. Before takeoff, pilots verify every item. Before review, contributors verify every requirement.

Common Mistakes

1. Checklist Too Long

Long checklists discourage PRs. Include only essential checks.

2. No Issue Linking Section

PRs without linked issues lack context. Require issue references.

3. Testing Section Too Vague

"Tests pass" is vague. "Tests added for new functionality" is specific.

Practice Questions

1. What should a PR template include? Description, related issue, change type, testing verification, and screenshots if applicable.

2. Why link issues to PRs? Issues provide context. Linked issues appear on the project board and changelog.

3. Challenge: Create a PR template for your project with a testing checklist.

FAQ

Mini Project

Create or improve PR templates for a project. Include an issue linking section, change type selection, and testing requirements.

What's Next

Docs as Code OSS in the next lesson.