Need help regarding pull requests

[sarabhan]

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Hi! i am a beginner to github, and i have recently created a repo for my project with 2 branches, 'main' and 'development'. I have opened a pull request to pull stuff from my development branch into the main branch, but i am facing problems with reviewing.

this is the pull request i have opened for trial

and after opening this request, i met with this error

so i tried adding myself as a reviewer, but github cant fetch my username

i had also tried creating a .github directory and adding a 'CODEOWNERS' file with my username in it, but i had no luck there

can someone please help?

[krishparmar22242]

Navigate to your repository on GitHub and click on the Settings tab at the top.
On the left-hand sidebar, look for the Code and automation section and click on Branches.
You will see a section called Branch protection rules. Find the rule for your main branch and click Edit.
You have two options here to fix the block:
Option A (Recommended for solo projects): Uncheck the box that says Require a pull request before merging. This will allow you to merge your own PRs immediately.
Option B (If you want to keep the PR flow): Keep the PR requirement active, but scroll down and check the box that says Allow administrators to bypass the above settings. As the owner of the repo, this will let you merge the PR even if it has 0 approvals.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save changes button.
Go back to your Pull Request. You should now see that the red error has changed, and the Merge pull request button is green and clickable.
A note on CODEOWNERS
The CODEOWNERS file is used to automatically assign reviewers, but it still won't allow you to review yourself. For a personal project, adjusting the branch protection settings as described above is the proper way to clear the block.
If this solved your problem, please consider marking this as the accepted answer so it can help other beginners find the solution easily!

[krishparmar22242]

1. Navigate to your repository on GitHub and click on the Settings tab at the top.
2. On the left-hand sidebar, look for the Code and automation section and click on Branches.
3. You will see a section called Branch protection rules. Find the rule for your main branch and click Edit.
4. You have two options here to fix the block:
   Option A (Recommended for solo projects): Uncheck the box that says Require a pull request before merging. This will allow you to merge your own PRs immediately.
   Option B (If you want to keep the PR flow): Keep the PR requirement active, but scroll down and check the box that says Allow administrators to bypass the above settings. As the owner of the repo, this will let you merge the PR even if it has 0 approvals.
5. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Save changes button.
6. Go back to your Pull Request. You should now see that the red error has changed, and the Merge pull request button is green and clickable.
   A note on CODEOWNERS

The CODEOWNERS file is used to automatically assign reviewers, but it still won't allow you to review yourself. For a personal project, adjusting the branch protection settings as described above is the proper way to clear the block.
If this solved your problem, please consider marking this as the accepted answer so it can help other beginners find the solution easily!

[sarabhan]

hi @krishparmar22242 ! thank you so much for the quick reply

i was hoping to keep the pr flow, so i proceeded with the option B you suggested. however, i cant seem to find the 'allow admins to bypass the above settings' option while creating or editing the branch rule. here is what options i can see

am i looking for it in the right place? or has it been removed recently?

[krishparmar22242]

In your screenshot, the option you are looking for is called "Do not allow bypassing the above settings."

Here is the "pro-tip" on how to handle that specific checkbox to get your merge button working:
How it works: By default, if that box is unchecked (which it is in your screenshot), administrators (you) are technically allowed to bypass the rules.
The Problem: Even if it is unchecked, GitHub will still show you the "Merging is blocked" message to encourage you to follow the rules. However, because you are the admin and the bypass is active, you should still be able to merge.

The Solution to get that PR merged right now:

1. Check your PR page again: Go back to your Pull Request. Look closely at the "Merge" button area. Even if it says blocked, as an admin, you should see a small checkbox or a dropdown arrow on the merge button that says "Bypass protection and merge anyway" or "Administrator merge."
2. The "Clean" Solo Setup: Since you are working alone, the most "proper" way to keep the PR flow without the errors is to Uncheck these two boxes in your screenshot:
   Uncheck "Require approvals"
   Uncheck "Require review from Code Owners"
3. Why do this? As a solo dev, you can't approve your own work, so these rules will always "fail" for you. Keeping "Require a pull request before merging" checked is still good practice because it lets you see your changes in the PR UI before they go to the main branch.
4. Save Changes: Don't forget to scroll to the very bottom of that page and click the green Save changes button (you might need to enter your password).

Once you uncheck those specific requirement boxes, your Pull Request will immediately show a green "Merge" button without any errors!

If this cleared up the confusion and helped you merge your code, please consider marking this as the accepted answer so it can help other beginners who get stuck on these settings!

[sarabhan]

thanks, this was really helpful!

[krishparmar22242]

You're very welcome, @sarabhan! I'm so glad to hear that worked for you and that you were able to get your PR merged.
Good luck with the rest of your project, and happy coding!