GitHub has introduced two new repository settings to give maintainers more control over how repositories accept contributions through pull requests. The first setting allows maintainers to disable pull requests entirely, which hides the pull requests tab and prevents anyone from viewing existing pull requests or opening new ones. The second setting restricts pull request creation to collaborators only, keeping the pull requests tab visible but limiting the ability to create new pull requests to users with write access to the repository, while still allowing all users to view and comment on existing pull requests.
The article explains that disabling pull requests hides the tab and blocks all pull request activity, useful for mirror or read-only repositories.
These settings are designed to match different project needs and contribution management preferences. According to the GitHub Changelog, disabling pull requests is particularly useful for mirror repositories, read-only codebases, or projects that want to share work publicly without managing contributions. Restricting pull requests to collaborators helps manage contribution quality during critical development phases or when tighter control is needed over who can submit changes.
The article notes that restricting pull requests to collaborators helps manage contribution quality during critical development phases.
Both settings are now available for all public and private repositories and can be configured through the repository's Settings > General > Features menu. While the web interface fully supports these changes, the mobile app currently shows some limitations: when pull requests are disabled, the pull requests tab still appears in the GitHub mobile app, though users cannot create new pull requests, with full UI changes promised for a future update.