GitHub · Pull requests · Merging · Checked October 28, 2026

GitHub: the merge commit message is not what you expected

When you squash and merge, GitHub generates a default commit message that you can edit. It can include the pull request title, the pull request description or commit information, depending on the repository settings and the number of commits in the pull request (GitHub's merge message for a squash merge, checked October 28, 2026). A merge commit has a default message of its own, set the same way.

Where the default comes from

Squash and merge: under Allow squash merging, in the Pull Requests section of the repository's Settings, a dropdown sets the format of the default squash commit message. The default message uses the commit title and message if the pull request contains only 1 commit, or the pull request title and list of commits if it contains 2 or more; the other choices are the pull request title, the pull request title and commit details, or the pull request title and description (GitHub's configuring commit squashing for pull requests).
Merge commit: under Allow merge commits, the default message includes the pull request number and title, for example Merge pull request #123 from patch-1; the other choices are the pull request title, or the pull request title and description (GitHub's configuring commit merging for pull requests).
Rebase and merge: adds each commit of the head branch onto the base branch individually, without a merge commit (see Rebase and merge not available).
In the API: updating a repository sets the defaults with squash_merge_commit_title (PR_TITLE, or COMMIT_OR_PR_TITLE: the commit title if there is only one commit, the pull request title when there are more), squash_merge_commit_message (PR_BODY, COMMIT_MESSAGES or BLANK), merge_commit_title (PR_TITLE, or MERGE_MESSAGE: the classic title such as Merge pull request #123 from branch-name) and merge_commit_message (PR_BODY, PR_TITLE or BLANK) (GitHub's update a repository).

Why it came out differently

One commit or many: with the default format, a squash of a pull request with one commit takes that commit title and message, and a squash of one with two or more takes the pull request title and the list of commits. A pull request that gets a second commit gets another default.
Another format in this repository: the dropdowns under Allow squash merging and Allow merge commits set the format of the default message presented to contributors when they merge.
Edited when merging: on GitHub, you type a commit message when prompted, or accept the default message (GitHub's merging a pull request).
Merged through the API: the REST merge takes commit_title, the title for the automatic commit message, and commit_message, extra detail to append to the automatic commit message (GitHub's merge a pull request); in the asynchronous merge, both are only supported for direct merges. In GraphQL, mergePullRequest takes commitHeadline and commitBody, and if they are omitted a default message is used (GitHub's mergePullRequest).
Auto-merge and the merge queue: auto-merge keeps the commit headline and body given when it was turned on, and uses a default message when they were omitted; when merging with a merge queue, any commit headline or message given is ignored, and the merge queue sets it (GitHub's enablePullRequestAutoMerge and AutoMergeRequest; see merging through a merge queue).

What to do

See the setting: in the repository's Settings, General, Pull Requests, the dropdowns under Allow squash merging and Allow merge commits; someone who can change the settings can pick another format.
Write it when merging: edit the title and message in the merge box, or pass commit_title and commit_message to the REST merge, or commitHeadline and commitBody to the GraphQL one.
Co-authors: the Co-authored-by lines are part of the commit message, so before a squash merge, check that they are in the message of the commit that lands (see a co-author not credited).
Commit message rules: for a squash merge, a branch rule on commit messages checks the resulting commit (see commit metadata rules).

GitHub pull requests in IntelliJ IDEA

Pull Request Inbox for GitHub, a plugin by Lesstep for JetBrains IDEs 2024.1 or later, shows a pull request's reviews, checks and conversations next to the diff, and merges it with the methods the target branch allows. Its merge dialog has a commit title field for a merge commit or a squash, which it sends as the commit title, and left empty GitHub's default title is used; it sends no commit message, so the rest of the message is GitHub's automatic one. The field is off for Rebase and merge and for the merge queue. The review inbox, diffs and conversations are free; approving, commenting, resolving and merging are Pro (US$1.50 a month, with a 30-day trial).

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