Merge pull requests with PR Merge Queue

PR Merge Queue collects the open GitHub pull requests in the repositories you choose and sorts them by how ready they are to merge. From each card you can have an agent prepare the merge, or merge, review or close the pull request on GitHub yourself.

Set it up#

1. 1

   Open Settings > Optional Features and turn on Enable PR Merge Queue.

2. 2

   Make sure the GitHub CLI is signed in; see Connect GitHub.

3. 3

   Open Settings > PR Merge Queue and click Add a repo.

4. 4

   Pick the Yardmaster project that holds the code. Yardmaster fills in the GitHub repo (owner/repo) and Base branch from the project's Git settings. Click Save.

5. 5

   Open the queue from Developer Tools > PR Merge Queue in the sidebar, or its toolbar button.

Each repo starts with Whose PRs set to Only mine (recommended), so only pull requests you opened appear. Switch a repo to Everyone's in Settings > PR Merge Queue to see every open pull request there.

Read the queue#

Each card shows a status: Ready to merge (no conflicts, checks passing, no blocking review) comes first, then Needs your call, Waiting and Blocked. Drafts and experiments are tucked into a collapsed Drafts group.

Yardmaster refreshes your repos in the background (every 10 minutes at first), so the queue opens with the last results and an Updated time. Click Refresh PR list for the latest. With two or more repos, pick All repos in the repo menu to see them together.

Let an agent prepare a merge#

Click Prepare merge on a card. An agent works in a separate copy of your project: it rebases the branch, resolves conflicts and runs your tests, then stops with the copy ready for you to merge. It never pushes and never touches your base branch. Its final message opens with a plain-English summary of what the pull request does.

When several pull requests do not touch the same files, a Merge batch together button prepares them in one session and runs the tests once.

Add instructions on a card adds notes for that one merge; Standing merge instructions in a repo's settings apply to every merge there.

Merge, review or close on GitHub#

These act on GitHub straight away, under your GitHub account, with no agent:

• Merge on GitHub on a ready card merges it for everyone, after you confirm. On a repo that uses GitHub's own merge queue, it adds the pull request to that queue instead.

• In the card's menu: Approve…, Comment… and Request changes… post a review; Close PR… closes it without merging, after you confirm.

Merging and closing work only on your computer, not from your phone.

Fix a failing pull request#

Fix CI / address comments starts an agent that reads the failing checks and open review comments, fixes them, runs your tests and pushes only to that pull request's own branch. It asks you to confirm the branch first, and refuses when pushing would be unsafe (a pull request from someone else's fork, or one whose branch is your base branch).

Review with agent sends the pull request to Reviewer, where the draft review appears.

See it in your Inbox#

When a pull request needs you, your Inbox shows one line for it: needs review, ready to merge or merge stuck. The line clears itself once the pull request stops waiting. Dismissing a line archives that pull request in the queue; Show archived and Unarchive bring it back. In the projects sidebar, a repo shows one combined line instead.

Archive on a card hides it without changing anything on GitHub. The arrow keys move between cards, and your archive shortcut archives the highlighted one.

Stop automatic merge sessions#

The Auto-Merge Daemon starts merge sessions for the lowest-risk pull requests by itself, on repos whose Trust level allows it. Each repo starts at Pause and ask (recommended), which never starts one. The daemon is off until you turn it on, stops for the day at the Daily budget per repo (USD), and has a Dry-run mode that only logs what it would do.

To stop it everywhere, open Settings > PR Merge Queue and turn off Auto-Merge Daemon. To stop it for one repo, click the pencil (Edit repo) on that repo's row on the same page, set its Trust level to Pause and ask (recommended) and click Save.