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Streamline your team’s code collaboration with Azure Repos pull requests. In this guide, you’ll learn how to:
  • Create a feature branch
  • Push changes
  • Open a pull request
  • Review code
  • Complete the merge
Whether you’re preparing for AZ-400 certification labs or improving your CI/CD workflow, this end-to-end pull request process will keep your repository clean and your team in sync.

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1. Create a Feature Branch and Push Changes

Start by branching off master so your changes remain isolated. 
cd ~/mnt/c/Users/jeremy/Projects/KodeKloudGifts
git checkout -b ChangeFrontPage     # Create a feature branch
Open Pages/Home.razor in your editor and update the marketing copy: 
@page "/"

<PageTitle>Home</PageTitle>

<h1>Kode Kloud Gift Shop</h1>
<p>
  Welcome to the Kode Kloud Gift Shop, 
  where you can find the quirkiest and most unique gifts 
  at unbeatable prices! Whether you’re looking for a gift 
  for a friend, family member, or yourself, we’ve got you covered.
</p>
Stage, commit, and push your branch to Azure Repos: 
git add Pages/Home.razor
git commit -m "Update front page marketing text"
git push -u origin ChangeFrontPage
If you don’t see the new branch right away, have your collaborator refresh the Branches view.
The image shows a screenshot of the Azure DevOps interface displaying the branches of a repository. It lists two branches, "ChangeFrontPage" and "master," along with details like commit IDs, authors, and status.

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2. Open a Pull Request

Now that your feature branch is pushed, initiate a pull request (PR) to merge into master:
  1. Navigate to Repos > Pull requests > New pull request.
  2. Set Source to ChangeFrontPage and Target to master.
  3. Add a descriptive title, e.g., Change front page text, and a clear description.
  4. Assign Jeremy Morgan (or the appropriate reviewer).
  5. Click Create to open the PR.
The image shows a pull request creation page in Azure DevOps, with fields for title, description, reviewers, and work items. The sidebar includes options like Repos, Pipelines, and Test Plans.

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3. Review and Complete the Pull Request

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3.1 Review Code Changes

As a reviewer, check for:
  • Correct source → target
  • No merge conflicts
  • Clean diffs and concise commit messages
Leave comments or questions inline:
Jeremy: Has this text been approved by legal? Lloyd: Yes, it’s already been cleared.
(Mark as resolved)
Inspect the diff for Home.razor:
The image shows a pull request in Azure DevOps for a project named "KodeKloudGifts," with a proposed change to the "Home.razor" file. The change involves updating text on the front page.

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3.2 Choose a Review Outcome

Azure DevOps supports multiple review decisions:
  • Approve (with or without suggestions)
  • Wait for author
  • Reject
  • Abandon
The image shows a pull request interface in Azure DevOps, with options to approve, reject, or comment on the changes. It includes a conversation about the review status and a description of the changes made.

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3.3 Merge Settings and Strategies

Once approved, click Complete and pick a merge strategy:
StrategyDescription
Merge (no fast-forward)Preserve all commits in a merge commit
Squash commitCombine changes into a single commit
Rebase and fast-forwardApply commits directly on master
Semi-linear mergeRebase then merge, preserving a linear history
You can also:
  • Edit the merge commit message
  • Complete linked work items
  • Delete the source branch automatically
Deleting the feature branch is irreversible. Ensure you won’t need any additional changes before confirming.
The image shows a pull request interface in Azure DevOps, with options to complete the pull request and post-completion settings.

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Result and Next Steps

After merging:
  • master now includes your updated Home.razor.
  • Any branch policies (build, test, deploy) on master trigger automatically.
  • Your team can continue developing new features without conflicts.
This pull request workflow is central to scalable DevOps practices in Azure Repos and is a key skill for the AZ-400 exam.

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