Improved file navigation and editing in the web UI

[queenofcorgis]

👋 We’re excited to release two improvements designed to streamline file navigation and editing in the web UI.

1. Seamless Editing from Search Results

When searching for a file on GitHub, results link to a specific commit. If you try to edit the file, you’ll see a disabled pencil icon with a tooltip that says “You must be on a branch to make or propose changes to this file.” This can be confusing for new users unfamiliar with branches, and it’s not clear how to switch to a branch to enable editing, which is an extremely common pain point for new open source contributors.

To address this, if the user is on the latest commit of the file on the default branch (aka HEAD commit), we’re adding an option in the dropdown next to the pencil icon that allows users to quickly edit a file on the default branch. This improvement reduces friction and makes the experience of editing files smoother, especially for new users.

How to test:

• Search for any file and navigate to it using global search.
• On the blob page, you should see a SHA (a string of letters/numbers associated that identify a specific commit) in the left branch picker.
• Open the “Edit options” menu (right side, next to the pencil icon).
• You should see “on <default_branch_name> branch” in the “Edit file…” group. Click it to edit the file on the default branch

• Try different scenarios (navigating to different branches, files from PRs, etc.).
• The option to edit the file “In place” will appear if the user is on a branch and has permissions to edit that file. This is the existing behavior. You’ll never be presented with both options to edit the file in place and on the default branch.

2. Easy Navigation to Default Branch

Previously, there was not a smooth UX for navigating back to the default branch from code or file view, an issue which came directly from the Refined GitHub repo. Now, we’ve added a “View on default branch” button to the left of the branch picker in the file tree to improve this workflow.

How to test:

• Open files via PRs, search, repo overview, etc.
• Look for the “View on default branch” button to the left of the branch picker in the file tree. There are 3 possible cases:
  • If you’re on the default branch, the button is hidden (example file).
    
    
    
  • If the file doesn’t exist on the default branch, the button is disabled and shows a tooltip. (example file).
    
    
  • Otherwise, the button is enabled (example file).
    
    

We'd love to get your feedback! Let us know your thoughts, questions, or any issues you run into in the comments ⬇️ .

[VictorMoni]

Thank you for the improvement 😄👋

[SheepTester]

Good change, but I wonder if the icon makes sense because a left arrow icon is also used for the file sidebar itself

I was also hoping to see the button on the main repository/file tree pages too but I guess not yet

[RubenGamarrarodriguez-tomtom]

maybe we could change an image on this discussion. The one below
You should see “on <default_branch_name> branch” in the “Edit file…” group. Click it to edit the file on the default branch
is showing the term
m*ster

[fregante]

Love seeing this! The ability to edit files on permalinks is also welcome. We had it at some point but it was confusing since it wasn't clear where the edit was going to happen, so I dropped it. Adding it to the dropdown makes it possible

[moraesc]

We will definitely keep this in mind. Thank you for the feedback @fregante!

[FUCKSTORY5150]

<default_branch_name> branch” in the “Edit file…” group. Click it to edit the file on the default branch
is showing the term
m*ster

[felipebianchini2006]

Great improvement! The new “Edit on default branch” solves a frequent confusion for new contributors. Quick question: if a repo’s default branch isn’t main (e.g. develop), does it still resolve correctly? Also, could the “View on default branch” button be offered as a keyboard shortcut for faster navigation?

[moraesc]

@felipebianchini2006 thanks for the feedback and for the suggestion regrading the keyboard shortcut! I'll report this back to the team and gather more feedback around whether a keyboard shortcut would be valuable for this case.

[rebeeh]

Great improvement! The new “Edit on default branch” solves a frequent confusion for new contributors. Quick question: if a repo’s default branch isn’t main (e.g. develop), does it still resolve correctly? Also, could the “View on default branch” button be offered as a keyboard shortcut for faster navigation?

Great update! 🎉 Love the smoother editing flow. +1 to supporting non-main default branches and a keyboard shortcut for “View on default branch” — that’d make navigation even faster.

[rebeeh]

💡 This is a fantastic improvement!

Both updates address long-standing UX friction points that new contributors often face.

• The “Edit on default branch” option is especially helpful — it bridges the gap between viewing a file at a specific commit and understanding how to make live edits without confusion.
• The “View on default branch” button is a subtle but powerful addition for navigation — it makes exploring PRs and historical commits far more intuitive.

Overall, these changes make GitHub feel more beginner-friendly while keeping advanced workflows smooth. Great work to the team 👏