Merge conflicts are an inevitable part of collaborative software development. If you’ve ever submitted a pull request (PR) and seen the dreaded “This branch has conflicts that must be resolved” message, you’re not alone.
In this blog, we’ll break down:
- What merge conflicts are
- Why they happen
- How to resolve them effectively in a Git pull request (on GitHub and locally)
🧠 What is a Merge Conflict?
A merge conflict occurs when Git can’t automatically reconcile differences between two branches. This usually happens when:
- Two people edit the same line of code
- One branch deletes a file the other modifies
- Code structure diverges significantly between branches
When this happens in a pull request, Git will prevent the merge until you resolve the conflicts manually.
⚠️ Common Scenario
You created a feature branch (feature/login) and submitted a pull request to main. Meanwhile, someone else made changes to the same files and merged them into main. Now your PR is out of sync, and Git can’t auto-merge.
✅ How to Resolve Merge Conflicts in a Pull Request
🧩 Option 1: Resolve Conflicts Locally
This is the most reliable method, especially for complex changes.
Step 1: Checkout Your Feature Branch
git checkout feature/login
Step 2: Pull the Latest Changes from the Base Branch (e.g., main)
git fetch origin
git merge origin/main
You may see conflict markers (
<<<<<<<,=======,>>>>>>>) in the affected files.
Step 3: Manually Resolve Conflicts
Open the conflicting files in your code editor and look for markers like:
<<<<<<< HEAD
console.log("Hello from your branch");
=======
console.log("Hello from main branch");
>>>>>>> main
Choose which code to keep, modify, or combine. Then remove the conflict markers.
Step 4: Mark the Conflicts as Resolved
After editing:
git add path/to/conflicted-file
Step 5: Commit the Merge
git commit -m "Resolve merge conflicts between feature/login and main"
Step 6: Push the Changes
git push origin feature/login
Now go back to the PR page—you should see that the conflicts are resolved.
🖥️ Option 2: Use GitHub’s Web Editor (for Simple Conflicts)
- Open your pull request on GitHub
- Scroll to the “This branch has conflicts” message
- Click “Resolve conflicts”
- Edit the file inline using GitHub’s editor
- Click “Mark as resolved”
- Commit the merge
✅ Use this method only for small, simple changes—large or multiple-file conflicts are better handled locally.
🧰 Tips to Avoid Merge Conflicts
- Pull often: Keep your feature branch updated with the base branch (
git pull origin main) - Communicate: Coordinate with your team to avoid editing the same files/lines
- Smaller PRs: Short-lived, focused branches reduce the risk of conflicts
- Rebase (advanced): Rebasing can help keep a clean history, but use with care
🧠 Summary
| Step | Command/Action |
|---|---|
| Switch to your branch | git checkout feature/login |
| Fetch and merge main | git fetch origin + git merge origin/main |
| Resolve conflicts manually | Edit files and remove markers |
| Mark files resolved | git add . |
| Commit and push | git commit + git push |
🚀 Conclusion
Merge conflicts in pull requests can feel like a roadblock, but they’re just part of the development process. By understanding how to resolve them—especially using local tools—you gain more confidence and control over your Git workflow.
The key is to stay calm, follow the process, and use the right tools for the complexity of your conflicts.
