---
name: "maildir-import-patch"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "mailscripts"
version: "30-2"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/maildir-import-patch"
---

# maildir-import-patch(1)

import a git patch series into a maildir

## NAME

maildir-import-patch - import a git patch series into a maildir

## SYNOPSIS

**maildir-import-patch** *MAILDIR* \[***git-format-patch****(1) args*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**maildir-import-patch** generates a patch series using [**git-format-patch**(1)](/git-format-patch/1.md), and then imports the series into a maildir as an e-mail thread, one message per patch.

This is useful for providing inline feedback on a branch by e-mail, when the submitter did not use [**git-send-email**(1)](/git-send-email/1.md).

## EXAMPLE

Suppose that Bob uses [**git-request-pull**(1)](/git-request-pull/1.md) to ask you to review and merge his branch 'feature'.  You add Bob's repository as a remote called 'bob', check out the bob/feature branch locally, look at the commits and run some tests.  Now you'd like to provide inline feedback on Bob's changes, indicating which parts you think are ready to merge and which parts need more work.  So you type

```
    % maildir-import-patch ~/Maildir/patches master..bob/feature
```

Over in your MUA, you can then reply to each e-mail in the new thread generated by **maildir-import-patch**, providing line-by-line feedback on Bob's work.

## GIT CONFIGURATION KEYS

- **mailscripts.project-shortname**

  Short identifier for the project to be prepended to the subject lines of generated patches, like this: "\[PATCH shortname imported\]".  If unset, defaults to the name of the root directory of the repository.

  Ignored if any *--subject-prefix* option is present in the arguments to be passed on to [**git-format-patch**(1)](/git-format-patch/1.md).

## SEE ALSO

[**notmuch-import-patch**(1)](/notmuch-import-patch/1.md), [**git-format-patch**(1)](/git-format-patch/1.md), [**git-send-email**(1)](/git-send-email/1.md)

## AUTHOR

**notmuch-import-patch** was written by Sean Whitton \<spwhitton@spwhitton.name\>.