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A draft pull request (PR) is a special PR state used to indicate that changes are still a work in progress. Draft PRs are useful when you want to share in-progress work, run continuous integration (CI), and gather feedback before formally requesting reviews or enabling merging. Learn more in the GitHub docs: https://docs.github.com/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/creating-pull-requests/creating-a-draft-pull-request Why use a draft PR? Below is a short walkthrough that explains how a draft PR behaves on GitHub and what changes when you mark it ready for review. When you create a draft pull request:
  • GitHub intentionally delays reviewer notifications and prevents merging of the branch.
  • Reviewers may be listed on the PR, but they are not notified until the PR is converted to a normal (ready) PR.
  • CI/workflows still run, allowing you to iterate while checks execute.
The image shows a GitHub pull request page for updating a file named "script.js." It has details about the pull request status, assignees, and reviewers, indicating it's a draft and still a work in progress.
Key differences for a draft PR
Draft pull requests let you keep iterating with CI and discussions without immediately notifying reviewers or allowing merges. Convert to Ready for review when you want formal reviews and the ability to merge.
Converting a draft PR to ready for review
  • Click the Ready for review button on the PR to convert it.
  • GitHub converts the draft into a regular PR and sends review requests to configured reviewers.
  • The Merge button becomes enabled (subject to passing checks and any branch protection rules).
  • Review duties appear in reviewers’ notification lists and inboxes.
Here’s an example of the notifications area before converting the draft: Alice does not see a review request for the draft PR.
This image shows a GitHub notifications page with a list of updates related to pull requests and code quality checks, with various filters and sorting options visible on the left side.
After you click Ready for review:
  • GitHub sends review requests and notifications to the listed reviewers (for example, Alice).
  • The PR appears in the reviewers’ review queue and notification feeds.
  • The Merge button is enabled once checks pass and branch protection conditions are satisfied.
This image shows a GitHub pull request page for a script update, where a review has been requested and there are no conflicts with the base branch.
Summary: Best practices with draft PRs
  • Use draft PRs to iterate publicly while preventing premature review requests and merging.
  • Continue adding commits and using CI while the PR remains a draft.
  • Convert to Ready for review only when you want formal reviews, notifications, and the ability to merge.
Links and references

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