MergeChain

Chrome extension for GitHub pull requests

Stop merging pull requests out of order.

MergeChain adds merge dependencies to GitHub PRs. Say a PR is blocked by another, and its merge button stays disabled until the prerequisite lands. It works across repos and down transitive chains.

Get MergeChain View source Free. No account, no server.
github.com/acme/api/pull/143
PR Dependencies Blocked Ready
Blocked by 1 pull request that must merge first
acme/db#128 Add migration for order tables

What it does

Order enforced where it matters: the merge button.

Blocks the merge

While any dependency (direct or indirect) is unmerged, the merge button turns red and reads “Waiting on deps.” The tooltip names the blocker.

Cross-repo & transitive

Chain A → B → C, fan in from many PRs, share a common prerequisite. Dependencies can point across repositories, and cycles are detected.

No backend

Dependencies live inside the PR body, readable with or without the extension. Your token stays in your browser and talks only to api.github.com.

How it works

Three steps. No accounts, no servers.

Declare the dependency

On any PR, add another as Blocked by, in the same repo (#128) or another (acme/db#128).

It’s saved in the PR

Stored as a hidden note in the PR description, so the relationship travels with the PR and survives without the extension.

Merge waits its turn

The button stays blocked until every prerequisite is merged. See the chain as a list or a graph.

Install

Get it running in a minute.

  1. Chrome Web Store listing: coming soon.
  2. Or load it now: download the latest build, open chrome://extensions, enable Developer mode, and Load unpackeddist/.
  3. Open the extension’s Options and sign in with GitHub (device flow, or a fine-grained token with Pull requests: read & write).