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---
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.
To get started, read the [introduction to merge requests](getting_started.md).
## Merge request tabs
Merge requests contain tabs at the top of the page to help you navigate to
important parts of the merge request:
- **Overview**: Contains the description, notifications from pipelines, and a
discussion area for [comment threads](../../discussions/index.md#resolve-a-thread))
and [code suggestions](reviews/suggestions.md). The right sidebar provides fields
to add assignees, reviewers, labels, and a milestone to your work, and the
[merge request widgets area](widgets.md) reports results from pipelines and tests.
- **Commits**: Contains a list of commits added to this merge request. For more
information, read [Commits tab in merge requests](commits.md).
- **Pipelines**: If configured, contains a list of recent [GitLab CI/CD](../../../ci/index.md)
pipelines and their status.
- **Changes**: Contains the diffs of files changed by this merge request. You can
[configure the display](changes.md).
## View merge requests
You can view merge requests for a specific project, or for all projects in a group:
- **Specific project**: Go to your project and select **Merge requests**.
- **All projects in a group**: Go to your group and select **Merge requests**.
If your group contains subgroups, this view also displays merge requests from the subgroup projects.
GitLab displays a count of open merge requests in the left sidebar, but
[caches the value](reviews/index.md#cached-merge-request-count) for groups with a large number of
open merge requests.
GitLab displays open merge requests, with tabs to filter the list by open and closed status:
You can [search and filter](../../search/index.md#filtering-issue-and-merge-request-lists),
the results, or select a merge request to begin a review.
## Merge request sidebar
The **Overview** tab of a merge request displays a sidebar. In this sidebar, you
can assign, categorize, and track progress on a merge request:
- [**Assignee**](getting_started.md#assignee): Designate the directly responsible
individual (DRI) for a merge request. With
[multiple assignees](getting_started.md#multiple-assignees), you can assign a
merge request to more than one person at a time.
- [**Reviewer**](reviews/index.md): Designate a team member to review a merge request.
Higher tiers can assign multiple reviewers, and [require approvals](approvals/index.md)
from these reviewers.
- [**Milestone**](../milestones/index.md): Track time-sensitive changes.
- [**Time tracking**](../time_tracking.md): Time spent on a merge request.
- [**Labels**](../labels.md): Categorize a merge request and display it on
appropriate [issue boards](../issue_board.md).
- **Participants**: A list of users participating or watching a merge request.
- [**Notifications**](../../profile/notifications.md): A toggle to select whether
or not to receive notifications for updates to a merge request.
## 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). 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)
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