5 Essential Gitlab Merge Request Templates

GitLab is an incredibly powerful tool for managing software development projects, and one of its most useful features is the merge request (MR) template. MR templates allow you to standardize the format of your merge requests, making it easier for your team to review and approve changes to your codebase. In this article, we'll explore five essential GitLab merge request templates that you can use to streamline your development workflow.

Why Use Merge Request Templates?

Before we dive into the five essential GitLab merge request templates, let's talk about why you should use them in the first place. MR templates offer several benefits, including:

• Consistency: By standardizing the format of your merge requests, you can ensure that all MRs include the necessary information, making it easier for reviewers to understand the changes.
• Efficiency: MR templates save time by providing a pre-defined structure for your merge requests, reducing the need for back-and-forth communication.
• Quality: By including relevant information, such as testing instructions and related issues, MR templates help ensure that changes are thoroughly reviewed and tested.

1. Simple Merge Request Template

This template is perfect for small changes or bug fixes. It includes the following sections:

• What does this MR do?: A brief description of the changes.
• Why was this MR needed?: An explanation of the problem or reason for the change.
• How should this MR be verified and validated?: Instructions for reviewers on how to test the changes.

Example:

## What does this MR do?

Fix bug in login functionality.

## Why was this MR needed?

The current login functionality is not working as expected, causing errors for users.

## How should this MR be verified and validated?

1. Test login functionality with different user credentials.
2. Verify that errors are no longer occurring.

2. Feature Development Merge Request Template

This template is suitable for feature development, where multiple changes are being made to the codebase. It includes the following sections:

• Feature description: A detailed explanation of the feature being developed.
• Related issues: A list of related issues or bugs that are being addressed.
• Testing instructions: Step-by-step instructions for reviewers on how to test the feature.

Example:

## Feature description

Develop a new user dashboard that displays user information and activity.

## Related issues

* Issue #123: User dashboard not displaying correctly.
* Issue #456: User activity not being tracked.

## Testing instructions

1. Log in as a test user.
2. Verify that the user dashboard is displayed correctly.
3. Test user activity tracking by performing various actions.

3. Bug Fix Merge Request Template

This template is designed for bug fixes, where a specific issue is being addressed. It includes the following sections:

• Bug description: A detailed explanation of the bug being fixed.
• Steps to reproduce: Step-by-step instructions on how to reproduce the bug.
• Fix description: A description of the fix being implemented.

Example:

## Bug description

Error occurs when user attempts to upload file.

## Steps to reproduce

1. Log in as a test user.
2. Attempt to upload a file.
3. Verify that the error occurs.

## Fix description

Updated file upload functionality to handle large files.

4. Refactoring Merge Request Template

This template is suitable for refactoring changes, where code is being rewritten or reorganized. It includes the following sections:

• Refactoring description: A detailed explanation of the refactoring being done.
• Motivation: An explanation of why the refactoring is necessary.
• Changes: A list of changes being made.

Example:

## Refactoring description

Refactor user authentication code to improve performance.

## Motivation

The current user authentication code is slow and inefficient.

## Changes

* Updated authentication logic to use caching.
* Removed unnecessary database queries.

5. Documentation Merge Request Template

This template is designed for documentation changes, where documentation is being updated or added. It includes the following sections:

• Documentation changes: A description of the documentation changes being made.
• Motivation: An explanation of why the documentation changes are necessary.
• Related issues: A list of related issues or bugs that are being addressed.

Example:

## Documentation changes

Update user guide to reflect new features.

## Motivation

The current user guide is outdated and does not reflect recent changes.

## Related issues

* Issue #789: User guide not updated to reflect new features.

GitLab Merge Request Templates Gallery

We hope this article has provided you with a comprehensive understanding of the importance of GitLab merge request templates and how to use them to streamline your development workflow. By using these templates, you can ensure that your merge requests are thorough, consistent, and easy to review. Remember to customize the templates to fit your team's specific needs and workflow. Happy coding!