Synopsis

git request-pull [-p] <start> <url> [<end>]

Description

The git request-pull command generates a textual summary asking an upstream maintainer to pull changes from your repository. The output includes a list of commits in the range, a diffstat, the URL and ref to pull from, and (if applicable) the SHA of the tagged version. It's the standard way to send a pull request via email on mailing-list-driven projects.

This is unrelated to GitHub/GitLab pull requests — it predates them. The output is meant to be pasted into an email to the upstream maintainer.

In day-to-day use, git request-pull integrates closely with shell aliases, editor plugins, and continuous integration. Power users often add aliases that combine flags they always pass, or wrap the command in scripts that enforce team conventions. Output formatting can be customized via Git config — pretty formats, color schemes, and pager behavior are all tunable. When something goes wrong, the first diagnostic step is usually to re-run the command with GIT_TRACE=1 in the environment, which reveals the underlying plumbing calls. For unusual situations, the --help output (git request-pull --help) opens the full manual page with details on every option, including those rarely used in casual workflows but essential for debugging or scripting at scale.

Understanding how git request-pull interacts with the rest of Git's data model — the object database, the index, refs, and the working tree — pays dividends. Each command operates on some subset of these pieces, and knowing which it touches helps predict outcomes and recover from mistakes. Reading the official Git documentation alongside hands-on practice in a throwaway repository is the fastest way to internalize the nuances. Most production issues with Git stem from one of three causes: surprising default behavior, partial network operations, or rewriting history that was already shared. A working mental model of git request-pull's side effects helps avoid all three.

Common Options

Examples

git request-pull v1.0 https://github.com/me/proj.git my-feature
# Summary asking to pull my-feature from my fork

git request-pull origin/main https://example.com/me/proj.git HEAD
# Pull request based on what's ahead of upstream main

git request-pull -p v2.0 [email protected]:proj.git release-2.1 | mail -s "Pull request" [email protected]
# Email a pull request with full patch

Common Mistakes

Specifying the wrong start point makes the diff range nonsensical. Run git log first to confirm the range. The remote URL must be accessible to the maintainer; private URLs produce useless requests.

Related Commands

git format-patch, git send-email, git tag, git log