diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2911cc8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+## Summary
+
+<!-- Briefly describe what this PR changes and why -->
+
+## Related Issue
+
+<!-- Link the issue this PR addresses, e.g. Closes #123 -->
+
+## Validation
+
+<!-- Describe how you validated this change -->
+
+- [ ] Backend tests run (`cd flow-backend && mvn test`)
+- [ ] Frontend checks run (`cd flow-frontend && npm run lint && npm run build`)
+
+## Review Checklist
+
+- [ ] Scope is focused and minimal for the issue
+- [ ] Relevant docs were updated (if needed)
+- [ ] No secrets or sensitive data introduced
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e7a10c9..eeb4b66 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
 .idea/
 .DS_Store
 Thumbs.db
-.github/
+.github/*
+!.github/pull_request_template.md
 
 # Local env files
 .env