---
title: "🌿 Main Branch: The One Where PRs Got Clearer"
date: 2026-03-09
author: Andrea Griffiths
language: en
issue: 17
excerpt: "Merge status at a glance, and hierarchy views that finally remember where you left them."
tags: ["github", "pull-requests", "projects", "merge-status", "hierarchy-view", "fundamentals"]
canonical_url: https://mainbranch.beehiiv.com/p/main-branch-the-one-where-prs-got-clearer-issue-17
---

Hiya friends,

Quick programming note: I'm experimenting with sending this on Mondays again. The Sunday experiment was interesting, but I missed the ritual of starting the week with you. Let me know how it lands.

This week is about visibility. Not the LinkedIn kind, the useful kind. The kind where you open a pull request and immediately know what's blocking it. Where your project hierarchy stays exactly how you left it. Small things, but they compound into smoother days.

---

## 🔍 The small frictions that add up

You know how many clicks it takes to check if a PR is actually ready to merge? Too many. And how many times you've re-expanded the same sub-issues in your project view? Also too many. Both got fixed this week.

---

## 🚢 What Shipped

**Quick access to merge status in pull requests**

The merge status now lives at the top of every pull request page. No more scrolling to the bottom, no more hunting through tabs. One glance tells you if you're ready to merge or what's standing in the way.

Click it for the full picture: approvals, check status, branch protection blockers. It's the information you were already looking for, just... available immediately.

Status: <a href="https://github.blog/changelog/2026-03-05-quick-access-to-merge-status-in-pull-requests-in-public-preview/">Public Preview</a> | Works on new "Files changed" page by default

**Hierarchy view improvements in Projects**

Three small fixes that make sub-issues actually usable:

- **Filter sub-issues** with syntax like `sub-issues.is:open` — finally you can narrow to just the active ones
- **Deduplication** — items appearing in multiple hierarchy paths now show once, keeping views scannable
- **State persistence** — expand/collapse state is saved, so the view stays how you left it

If you've been avoiding hierarchy view because it felt messy, worth another look.

Status: <a href="https://github.blog/changelog/2026-03-05-hierarchy-view-improvements-and-file-uploads-in-issue-forms/">GA</a> | All Projects users

**Bonus: Copilot code review went agentic**

For those using Copilot code review: it's now running on an agentic architecture that gathers broader repository context before commenting. The promise is higher signal, less noise. I'll be watching to see if it delivers.

Status: <a href="https://github.blog/changelog/2026-03-05-copilot-code-review-now-runs-on-an-agentic-architecture/">GA</a> | Copilot Pro+ / Business / Enterprise

---

## 📺 What I'm Watching

[Title] – [Creator]

2-3 sentences about why it's relevant and what you're taking away.

Worth your time if: [who it's for]

---

## 🔧 What I'm Using

[Tool or workflow you're using this week. 1-2 sentences.]

---

## ✨ This Week

[2-3 sentences about something personal, human. A moment, an observation, something you're sitting with.]

---

**That's the week.** Two visibility improvements that remove the small friction of "where was I again?" The fundamentals win every time.

With gratitude, I'll see you next week,

Andrea

🇪🇸 **Léelo en** **[español](https://mainbranch.dev/newsletter/es/issue-17/)**

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