---
stage: Create
group: Code Review
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
type: index, reference
---

# Merge requests **(FREE)**

Merge requests (MRs) are the way you check source code changes into a branch.
When you open a merge request, you can visualize and collaborate on the code changes before merge.
Merge requests include:

- A description of the request.
- Code changes and inline code reviews.
- Information about CI/CD pipelines.
- A comment section for discussion threads.
- The list of commits.

Read more about [how to get started](getting_started.md).

## View merge requests

You can view merge requests for your project, group, or yourself.

### View merge requests for a project

To view all merge requests for a project:

1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Projects** and find your project.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Merge requests**.

Or, to use a [keyboard shortcut](../../shortcuts.md), press <kbd>g</kbd> + <kbd>m</kbd>.

### View merge requests for all projects in a group

To view merge requests for all projects in a group:

1. On the top bar, select **Menu > Groups** and find your group.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Merge requests**.

If your group contains subgroups, this view also displays merge requests from the subgroup projects.

## View all merge requests assigned to you

To view all merge requests assigned to you:

1. On the top bar, put your cursor in the **Search** box.
1. From the dropdown list, select **Merge requests assigned to me**.

Or, to use a [keyboard shortcut](../../shortcuts.md), press <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>m</kbd>.

You can [search and filter](../../search/index.md#filter-issue-and-merge-request-lists),
the results, or select a merge request to begin a review.

## Add changes to a merge request

If you have permission to add changes to a merge request, you can add your changes
to an existing merge request in several ways, depending on the complexity of your
change and whether you need access to a development environment:

- [Edit changes in the Web IDE](../web_ide/index.md) in your browser with the
  <kbd>.</kbd> [keyboard shortcut](../../shortcuts.md). Use this
  browser-based method to edit multiple files, or if you are not comfortable with Git commands.
  You cannot run tests from the Web IDE.
- [Edit changes in Gitpod](../../../integration/gitpod.md#launch-gitpod-in-gitlab), if you
  need a fully-featured environment to both edit files, and run tests afterward. Gitpod
  supports running the [GitLab Development Kit (GDK)](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-development-kit).
  To use Gitpod, you must [enable Gitpod in your user account](../../../integration/gitpod.md#enable-gitpod-in-your-user-settings).
- [Push changes from the command line](../../../gitlab-basics/start-using-git.md), if you are
  familiar with Git and the command line.

## Close a merge request

If you decide to permanently stop work on a merge request,
GitLab recommends you close the merge request rather than
[delete it](#delete-a-merge-request). The author and assignees of a merge request, and users with
Developer, Maintainer, or Owner [roles](../../permissions.md) in a project
can close merge requests in the project:

1. Go to the merge request you want to close.
1. Scroll to the comment box at the bottom of the page.
1. Following the comment box, select **Close merge request**.

GitLab closes the merge request, but preserves records of the merge request,
its comments, and any associated pipelines.

### Delete a merge request

GitLab recommends you close, rather than delete, merge requests.

WARNING:
You cannot undo the deletion of a merge request.

To delete a merge request:

1. Sign in to GitLab as a user with the project Owner [role](../../permissions.md).
   Only users with this role can delete merge requests in a project.
1. Go to the merge request you want to delete, and select **Edit**.
1. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and select **Delete merge request**.

## Merge request workflows

For a software developer working in a team:

1. You checkout a new branch, and submit your changes through a merge request.
1. You gather feedback from your team.
1. You work on the implementation optimizing code with [Code Quality reports](code_quality.md).
1. You verify your changes with [Unit test reports](../../../ci/unit_test_reports.md) in GitLab CI/CD.
1. You avoid using dependencies whose license is not compatible with your project with [License Compliance reports](../../compliance/license_compliance/index.md).
1. You request the [approval](approvals/index.md) from your manager.
1. Your manager:
   1. Pushes a commit with their final review.
   1. [Approves the merge request](approvals/index.md).
   1. Sets it to [merge when pipeline succeeds](merge_when_pipeline_succeeds.md).
1. Your changes get deployed to production with [manual jobs](../../../ci/jobs/job_control.md#create-a-job-that-must-be-run-manually) for GitLab CI/CD.
1. Your implementations were successfully shipped to your customer.

For a web developer writing a webpage for your company's website:

1. You checkout a new branch and submit a new page through a merge request.
1. You gather feedback from your reviewers.
1. You preview your changes with [Review Apps](../../../ci/review_apps/index.md).
1. You request your web designers for their implementation.
1. You request the [approval](approvals/index.md) from your manager.
1. Once approved, your merge request is [squashed and merged](squash_and_merge.md), and [deployed to staging with GitLab Pages](https://about.gitlab.com/blog/2021/02/05/ci-deployment-and-environments/).
1. Your production team [cherry-picks](cherry_pick_changes.md) the merge commit into production.

## Related topics

- [Create a merge request](creating_merge_requests.md)
- [Review a merge request](reviews/index.md)
- [Authorization for merge requests](authorization_for_merge_requests.md)
- [Testing and reports](testing_and_reports_in_merge_requests.md)
- [GitLab keyboard shortcuts](../../shortcuts.md)
- [Comments and threads](../../discussions/index.md)
- [Suggest code changes](reviews/suggestions.md)
- [Commits](commits.md)
- [CI/CD pipelines](../../../ci/index.md)
