Testing GitHub PRs Locally
Overview
Learn how to test GitHub pull requests locally without merging them into your main branch. This recipe shows multiple methods to safely review and test PR code.
Prerequisites
- Git installed
- GitHub CLI (optional but recommended)
- Clean working directory
Quick Steps to Test a PR Without Merging
1. Ensure clean working directory
git status # Check for uncommitted changes
git stash # If needed, stash changes
2. Fetch and switch to the PR
Option A: If you know the PR number (e.g., #123)
git fetch origin pull/123/head:pr-test-branch
git switch pr-test-branch
Option B: Using GitHub CLI
gh pr checkout 123
3. Test the code
# Run your normal build/test commands
npm install && npm test
# or whatever your project uses
4. Switch back to main when done
git switch main
5. Clean up (optional)
git branch -D pr-test-branch
Finding PR Numbers
- Check the GitHub PR URL:
/pull/123 - Or run:
gh pr list
Tips & Best Practices
- Work in your existing repo directory - Git handles file switching
- Always stash/commit local changes before switching branches
- You can switch between branches freely to compare changes:
git switch branch-name - To update an existing PR branch:
git fetch origin pull/123/head:pr-test-branch --force