DEV Community  ## Metadata - Author: [[DEV Community]] - Full Title: DEV Community - Category: #articles - Document Note: tags: - #pull-requests - #open-source - #github Author: DEV Community (OpenSauced) Source: Article Reference: https://dev.to/opensauced/how-to-create-a-good-pull-request-template-and-why-you-should-add-gifs-4i0l date created: 2025-08-21 00:00 # Title: How to Create a Good Pull Request Template (and Why You Should Add GIFs) ## Table of Contents: - 🔗 [📝 Summary](#-summary) - 📚 [📖 Main Content](#-main-content) - 🧾 [🗒️ Notes](#-notes) - 🔗 [📖 References](#-references) - 🗣️ [🗣️ Paraphrase](#-paraphrase) - 📰 [📰 Newsletter](#-newsletter) - ✅ [✅ Action Items](#-action-items) - 🧪 [🧪 Hypotheses](#-hypotheses) - 📊 [📊 Methodology](#-methodology) - ❓ [❓ Questions](#-questions) - 🔮 [🔮 Future Research](#-future-research) - 💡 [💡 Implications](#-implications) - 🧠 [🧠 Learning Styles Assessment](#-learning-styles-assessment) - ♿ [📊 Accessibility Assessment](#-accessibility-assessment) - 🌍 [🌍 DEIB Assessment](#-deib-deib-assessment) - 🧩 [✅ Logical validity](#-logical-validity) - 🔍 [🔍 DARVO Analysis](#-darvo-analysis) - 🔎 [🔍 SEO Evaluation](#-seo-evaluation) - 🎯 [🎯 Conclusion](#-conclusion) ### References: Include a list of sources consulted and cited in the article. - Tips for getting your Pull Request reviewed on GitHub by Brian Douglas: https://www.briandouglas.me - GIFs for GitHub Chrome extension: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gifs-for-github/lhdoppojpmngadmnindnejefpokejbdd - OpenSauced Hot Repositories: https://opensauced.pizza/explore ## 📝 Summary: The article explains why well-structured pull requests (PRs) are critical for collaboration and how maintainers can scaffold better contributions with a PR template. It outlines practical sections to include in PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md and argues for adding a “What GIF best describes this PR?” prompt to improve clarity, community engagement, and contributor expression—especially across language barriers. It closes with tips and tools, including a Chrome extension to add GIFs directly in PRs and links to further reading and examples. ## 📖 Main Content: - Importance of PRs - PRs enable collaboration, communication of changes, and maintainers’ feedback. - As teams diversify in background, experience, and language, structure helps level the field. - Creating a PR template - Treat templates as contributor onboarding/guidance. - Place PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md in a .github folder at the repo root. - Suggested sections: - PR type - Description of changes - Related tickets/documents - Screenshots/recordings (mobile and desktop) - Tests - Documentation - Post-deployment tasks - A GIF that represents the PR or contributor’s feeling - Inspiration: forem’s template; OpenSauced adapted it to their context. - Why add GIFs? - Bridges language gaps and conveys tone and intent. - Humanizes contributions and builds rapport. - Increases engagement and makes reviews more enjoyable. - How to add GIFs - Use the “GIFs for GitHub” Chrome extension to search, insert, and caption GIFs in PRs. - Further exploration - Learn review strategies from Brian Douglas’s guidance. - Examine how trending repos manage PRs via OpenSauced. ### 🗒️ Notes - PRs as collaboration engines - Communicate the “what” and “why” clearly. - Enable maintainers to provide targeted feedback. - Templates as onboarding - Reduce cognitive load and ambiguity. - Normalize best practices across contributors. - Template sections (practical checklist) - Type, description, linked issues/docs, screenshots, tests, docs updates, post-deploy, GIF. - GIFs’ benefits - Clarity: tone/context beyond words. - Culture: fosters belonging and personality. - Engagement: encourages reviewers to interact. - Tooling - GIFs for GitHub extension streamlines insertion/captioning. - Community learning - Study established templates (forem). - Read expert advice (Brian Douglas). - Observe patterns in active repos (OpenSauced). ## 📖 References: - Article: https://dev.to/opensauced/how-to-create-a-good-pull-request-template-and-why-you-should-add-gifs-4i0l - GIFs for GitHub Chrome Extension: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gifs-for-github/lhdoppojpmngadmnindnejefpokejbdd - Brian Douglas on PR reviews: Suggested reading via his site and blog: https://www.briandouglas.me - OpenSauced Hot Repositories: https://opensauced.pizza/explore ## 🗣️ Paraphrase: - Original idea: “PR templates are a kind of contributor onboarding.” - Paraphrase: Think of a PR template as a guided walkthrough that helps contributors craft a clear, complete submission and align with maintainer expectations. - Original idea: “Let them add GIFs... bridge language gaps, show personality, increase engagement.” - Paraphrase: Inviting contributors to include a GIF adds expressive context that transcends language, brings human warmth to the conversation, and boosts reviewer interest and enjoyment. ## 📰 Newsletter: Learning WordPress and open-source just got more fun. This week we’re refining our pull request game: set up a PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md in your repo’s .github folder to guide contributors through PR type, change descriptions, linked issues, screenshots, tests, docs, and post-deploy steps. And yes—ask for a GIF! Visual cues bridge language gaps, convey tone, and make reviews a joy. For a quick boost, try the GIFs for GitHub Chrome extension to search and caption GIFs inside PRs. Hungry for more? Check out Brian Douglas’s tips on getting PRs reviewed and explore how top projects handle PRs via OpenSauced’s hot repositories. Links: “How to create a good PR template (and why to add GIFs)”, GIFs for GitHub extension, Brian Douglas’s PR review tips, and OpenSauced Hot Repositories. Keep shipping, keep smiling, and keep it inclusive. ## ✅ Action Items: - Draft or refine a PR template for WordPress/open-source repos you support, including: - PR type, description, related issues, screenshots/recordings, tests, docs updates, post-deploy tasks, and a GIF prompt. - Create a contributor education module: - Short screencast on “How to write a great PR” with examples from WordPress core and community repos. - Add a section on “Inclusive communication” and non-native English considerations; show how GIFs/visuals help. - For contributor engagement: - Run a “PR Template Day” in community channels—invite contributors to test the template and give feedback. - Add labels and automation to nudge submitters if sections are missing. - For OSPO trajectory: - Document a policy for PR quality standards and inclusivity guidelines (tone, visuals, accessibility). - Measure review turnaround, contributor retention, and satisfaction pre/post template rollout. - For transparency/inclusivity: - Publish the template and rationale publicly; invite feedback via issues. - Provide an accessibility note on GIF usage (alt text/description expectations). - For education: - Integrate this template into workshops on Git/GitHub for PHP/JS/HTML/CSS learners; include hands-on PR exercises. ## 🧪 Hypotheses: - H1: Repositories using a structured PR template will experience reduced review time and fewer review cycles. - H2: Prompting contributors to include screenshots/recordings leads to higher acceptance rates for UI/UX changes. - H3: Adding a GIF prompt increases reviewer engagement and positive sentiment in PR discussions, especially among first-time contributors. - H4: Standardized PR templates improve contributor retention over 90 days. - H5: Explicit post-deployment checklists reduce production incidents related to the merged PR. ### 📊 Methodology: - Data sources: GitHub API (PR metadata, time-to-first-review, cycles to merge, labels), issue comments sentiment, contributor activity logs, OpenSauced metrics. - Designs: - A/B at repo or team level: template vs. no template for 8–12 weeks. - Interrupted time series: measure key metrics pre/post template rollout. - Survey contributors/reviewers on clarity, satisfaction, perceived inclusion. - Analysis: - Survival analysis for time-to-merge. - Logistic regression for acceptance probability vs. presence of screenshots/tests/GIFs. - Sentiment analysis on comment threads. - C - Summary: A constructive and inclusive social network for software developers. With you every step of your journey. - URL: https://dev.to/opensauced/how-to-create-a-good-pull-request-template-and-why-you-should-add-gifs-4i0l I wasn’t in tech when Pull Requests (PRs) were first introduced by GitHub back in 2008. And when I graduated from bootcamp four years ago, I had probably created only a handful of PRs. I quickly learned how vital PRs were when I started my first job on a team though. And my appreciation for a good Pull Request has only increased as I spend more time as a maintainer. The great things about Pull Requests are that they allow for collaboration between contributors and maintainers, offer an opportunity to communicate changes that have been made and why they are important, and the ability for maintainers to provide feedback. Because contributors come from different backgrounds, have varying degrees of experience, and speak different languages, sometimes creating good PRs can be tricky. But there are some ways to optimize the experience for everyone–including adding gifs. #### How to Create a Pull Request Template Maintainers can help to improve the experience for both reviewing Pull Requests and for contributors submitting them by creating a template. I like to think of Pull Request templates as a kind of contributor onboarding. It helps to guide them through the process of writing a good pull request and communicating with the maintainers. Although good templates may vary according to different organizations, their standards, and their needs, there are some basic checklists that you can use to generate your own. To create a PR template in GitHub, create a `.github` folder in the root of your repository and a file called `PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md`. At OpenSauced, we used [forem’s Pull Request template](https://github.com/forem/forem/blob/main/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md) for inspiration for [our template](https://github.com/open-sauced/.github/blob/main/.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md).  You can use markdown to create your template, and include sections like: * What type of PR is this? * Description of the changes * Related Tickets & Documents * Mobile & Desktop Screenshots/Recordings * Tests * Documentation * Post-deployment tasks * What gif best describes this PR or how it makes you feel? ##### Let Them Add Gifs! That last one might seem out of place to you, but it can actually make the PR experience more fun, engaging, and effective. Here's why: * Gifs can bridge language gaps and help contributors express themselves more clearly. * Gifs can showcase contributors' personalities and add a personal touch to the PR. * Gifs can increase engagement and make the review process more enjoyable for everyone. ##### How to add Gifs to Your PR If you’re a contributor, you might be wondering, “What’s the easiest way to add a gif?” I use the [GIFs for GitHub](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gifs-for-github/dkgjnpbipbdaoaadbdhpiokaemhlphep/related?hl=en) chrome extension. Once it’s installed, you’ve got a quick way to add all your favorite gifs to enhance that PR experience. Just search for the gif you want, and click it. You can even add a caption to describe the gif or explain how it relates to the PR 👏  You can read more about PRs with [@Brian Douglas’](https://dev.to/bdougieyo) post on [Tips for getting your Pull Request reviewed on GitHub](https://dev.to/opensauced/tip-for-getting-your-pull-request-reviewed-on-github-2b7c). Or check out the hottest repos and how they handle PRs on [OpenSauced hot repositories](https://hot.opensauced.pizza/). And if you have tips for creating great pull requests, let us know in the comments below. header image created using [midjourney](https://www.midjourney.com/app/jobs/53c570b9-3cc2-48c5-9fe0-8d855cfbeb34/)., DEV Community, DEV Community, 01gya3ws2th065rpdvc44qgqf1.