GitHub Revert Pull Request: Undo a Merged PR Safely (2026 Guide)

Published February 16, 2026 · 9 min read

If a pull request is already merged and causing problems, the safest rollback is usually revert, not reset. On GitHub, the merged PR page often has a Revert button that creates a rollback PR for you.

When that button is missing, you can still revert safely with CLI. The exact command depends on how the PR was merged: merge commit, squash merge, or rebase merge.

1. Quick decision: which rollback path to use

2. Revert a merged PR in GitHub UI

1. Open the merged pull request page in GitHub.
2. Click Revert.
3. GitHub creates a new branch and rollback pull request.
4. Run CI checks, request review, then merge the rollback PR.

This keeps your audit trail clean: original PR + explicit rollback PR.

3. When the Revert button is missing

The button may be unavailable even when rollback is possible. Common reasons:

• GitHub predicts conflicts and cannot auto-generate the revert cleanly.
• The PR was squash-merged or rebased in a way that requires manual commit selection.
• The source branch or repository state changed enough that GitHub cannot infer a safe auto-revert.

If you want a dedicated checklist just for this exact scenario, use GitHub Revert Button Missing Fix Guide.

4. CLI fallback by merge type

Step 1: sync local main

git switch main
git pull --ff-only

Step 2A: PR was merged with a merge commit

# Confirm parent order
git show --no-patch --pretty=raw <merge-hash>

# Keep parent 1 (usually main), undo merged side
git revert -m 1 <merge-hash>
git push origin main

Step 2B: PR was squash-merged

git log --oneline --decorate -n 30
git revert <squash-commit-hash>
git push origin main

Step 2C: PR was rebase-merged (multiple commits)

# Revert all PR commits as one rollback commit
git revert --no-commit OLDEST^..NEWEST
git status
git diff --staged
git commit -m "Revert merged PR #123"
git push origin main

Undo the rollback if needed

git log --oneline -n 10
git revert <rollback-commit-hash>
git push origin main

5. Verification and conflict handling

Before push

git status
git log --oneline --decorate -n 8
git show --name-only HEAD

If revert stops with conflicts

# resolve files, then
git add <resolved-files>
git revert --continue

# if you need to cancel
git revert --abort

After merge/push, validate production behavior and monitor error/latency dashboards before deciding whether additional rollback commits are required.

6. FAQ

Can I revert a PR without force pushing?

Yes. Revert creates new commits. Force push is usually unnecessary for merged PR rollback.

Should I revert the PR or revert individual commits?

If you need to undo the whole PR, revert the merge/squash/range as one rollback unit. Revert individual commits only when partial rollback is intentional.

Why did git revert -m 1 fail?

Usually wrong commit type (not a merge commit), incorrect parent choice, or conflicts requiring manual resolution.

Can I re-merge the same PR branch later?

Often yes, but you may need to revert the rollback first or add fresh commits, depending on merge history.

Where can I learn the full parent-selection details?

Read Git Revert a Merge Commit for deeper -m parent guidance.