Pull Request Tracking
Monitor PR status, reviews, and progress through your Zenhub workflow with automated connections and visual indicators.
Pull requests represent the completion of development work, and tracking their progress effectively ensures smooth code reviews and timely merges. Zenhub brings pull request tracking directly into your project workflow, so you can see code status alongside task progress without switching between tools.
Understanding pull request tracking
When you connect pull requests to issues in Zenhub, you create a unified view of both the development task and its implementation. Instead of managing issues and pull requests separately, you can track them together as they progress through your team's workflow.
NOTE: GitHub has its own linking system for connecting issues and pull requests, but Zenhub's connections are different. Zenhub's system provides workflow automation and visual tracking on your Work Tracker that GitHub's native linking doesn't offer.
Connecting pull requests to issues
The most effective way to track pull requests is by connecting them to issues. This creates a unified workflow where both the development work and the code implementation move together through your process.
Using GitHub keywords
Include phrases like "Fixes #123", "Closes #456", or "Resolves #789" in your PR description. Zenhub automatically connects the PR to those issues, and when you merge the PR, it closes the connected issue. Both remain linked in the Closed pipeline for future reference.
Manual connections during PR creation
When creating a pull request in GitHub, Zenhub options appear below the Create pull request button (requires the browser extension). You can choose a default pipeline where new PRs automatically appear on your Work Tracker, and connect the PR to existing issues in your workspace including issues from different repositories.
Connecting existing pull requests
For PRs already created, navigate to the PR in GitHub and use Zenhub's connection dropdown to link it with issues from your workspace. You can connect a single PR to multiple issues, or multiple PRs to a single issue.
Zenhub prevents connection conflicts to avoid unexpected behavior. If PR #9 connects to issue #1, it cannot also connect to issue #5 if that issue already connects to a different PR. This ensures clear workflow movement on your Work Tracker.
Pull request status indicators
PR cards on your Work Tracker show colored status icons that indicate the current state at a glance.
PR status colors
Grey indicates a draft PR still being developed. Blue indicates an open PR ready for review. Purple indicates a merged PR. Red indicates a closed PR that was closed without merging.
Review status per reviewer
Each reviewer shows a colored dot: red means changes were requested (blocks merging), green means approved, grey means commented without blocking, and yellow means the review is still pending.
Clicking a PR card opens the pull request in Zenhub's web interface by default. To open PRs directly in GitHub instead, enable Open all Pull Request links in GitHub in your profile preferences at app.zenhub.com/settings/profile.
Managing pull requests on the Work Tracker
When issues and PRs are connected, nested grey cards within the issue card show the connection. These move together when you drag the issue between pipelines. If a single PR connects to multiple issues, it appears as a nested card on each, and moving any connected issue moves all related items to the same pipeline.
You can show or hide pull requests independently from issues using the View options panel. If your workspace includes multiple repositories, PRs from any connected repository can be linked to issues from any other repository.
Pull request metrics in reports
GitHub Productivity Insights provides metrics focused on PR performance: throughput (PRs merged within a time period), code review time (average days from review start to completion), and PR merge ratio. Sprint reports also include PR progress alongside issue completion — Sprint Burndown, Sprint Summary, and Team Velocity all factor in pull request activity.
Troubleshooting
PRs not appearing on the Work Tracker
Verify the PR's repository is connected to your workspace, that you have appropriate permissions, and that the PR isn't being filtered out by your current view settings.
Connection issues
Confirm both items exist in repositories connected to your workspace and that no connection conflicts exist. If using GitHub keywords, verify you're using the correct syntax.
Missing review status indicators
Reviewers must be formally assigned in GitHub — mentioning them in comments isn't enough. Zenhub may also need a few minutes to sync after GitHub changes.
FAQ
Q: Can I connect a pull request to multiple issues?
A: Yes. This is useful when one code change addresses several feature requirements or bug fixes.
Q: Do pull requests automatically close issues when merged?
A: Only when you use GitHub's closing keywords (fixes, closes, resolves) in the PR description. Otherwise, merged PRs remain connected to open issues until manually closed.
Q: Why don't I see review status on some PR cards?
A: Review status only appears when reviewers are formally assigned in GitHub. PRs without assigned reviewers won't show review status indicators.
Q: How do I track pull requests that aren't connected to issues?
A: Standalone PRs appear as individual cards on your Work Tracker. You can move them through pipelines independently and use the same visual status indicators.
Q: Can I track pull requests from external contributors?
A: Yes. PRs from external contributors appear on your Work Tracker if they target repositories in your workspace, and you can connect them to issues using the same methods.