diff --git a/docs/user/automation-rules.rst b/docs/user/automation-rules.rst
index c00f716b51e..e52be336613 100644
--- a/docs/user/automation-rules.rst
+++ b/docs/user/automation-rules.rst
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ All enabled automation rules are evaluated for that version,
 in the order they are listed.
 A rule has three groups of conditions, which are checked in order:
 
-1. The version **type** must be one of the version types selected in the rule (tag, branch, or external).
+1. The version **type** must be one of the version types selected in the rule (tag, branch, or pull request).
 2. The version **name** must match the version pattern in the rule.
 3. If any **webhook filter** is configured, the data from the webhook event
    (changed files, commit message, or pull request labels) must also match.
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ Each rule applies to one or more version types:
 
 - **Tag** — Git tags pushed to the repository.
 - **Branch** — Git branches pushed to the repository.
-- **External** — pull/merge requests opened against the repository.
+- **Pull request** — pull/merge requests opened against the repository.
 
 You can select any combination of types in a single rule.
 
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ Only build when documentation files change
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 - Match: ``Any version``
-- Version types: ``Tag``, ``Branch``, ``External``
+- Version types: ``Tag``, ``Branch``, ``Pull request``
 - Changed files:
 
   .. code-block:: text
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ Configure a single rule that triggers a build only when the commit message
 does *not* contain ``[skip ci]``:
 
 - Match: ``Any version``
-- Version types: ``Tag``, ``Branch``, ``External``
+- Version types: ``Tag``, ``Branch``, ``Pull request``
 - Commit message: ``^(?!.*\[skip ci\]).*``
 - Action: ``Trigger build for version``
 
@@ -285,6 +285,6 @@ Only build pull requests labeled with ``documentation``
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 - Match: ``Any version``
-- Version type: ``External``
+- Version type: ``Pull request``
 - Pull request labels: ``^documentation$``
 - Action: ``Trigger build for version``
diff --git a/readthedocs/builds/constants.py b/readthedocs/builds/constants.py
index 3597085abf7..1a76583566e 100644
--- a/readthedocs/builds/constants.py
+++ b/readthedocs/builds/constants.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
 # Manager name for External Versions or Builds.
 # ie: Only pull request/merge request Versions and Builds.
 EXTERNAL = "external"
-EXTERNAL_TEXT = _("External")
+EXTERNAL_TEXT = _("Pull request")
 
 BRANCH = "branch"
 BRANCH_TEXT = _("Branch")
diff --git a/readthedocs/builds/migrations/0073_alter_automationrulematch_version_type_and_more.py b/readthedocs/builds/migrations/0073_alter_automationrulematch_version_type_and_more.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..6765cc54c33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/readthedocs/builds/migrations/0073_alter_automationrulematch_version_type_and_more.py
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.2.13 on 2026-06-03 09:38
+
+from django.db import migrations
+from django.db import models
+from django_safemigrate import Safe
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    safe = Safe.before_deploy()
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("builds", "0072_remove_deprecated_build_fields"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="automationrulematch",
+            name="version_type",
+            field=models.CharField(
+                choices=[
+                    ("branch", "Branch"),
+                    ("tag", "Tag"),
+                    ("external", "Pull request"),
+                    ("unknown", "Unknown"),
+                ],
+                max_length=32,
+            ),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="build",
+            name="version_type",
+            field=models.CharField(
+                blank=True,
+                choices=[
+                    ("branch", "Branch"),
+                    ("tag", "Tag"),
+                    ("external", "Pull request"),
+                    ("unknown", "Unknown"),
+                ],
+                max_length=32,
+                null=True,
+                verbose_name="Version type",
+            ),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="version",
+            name="type",
+            field=models.CharField(
+                choices=[
+                    ("branch", "Branch"),
+                    ("tag", "Tag"),
+                    ("external", "Pull request"),
+                    ("unknown", "Unknown"),
+                ],
+                db_index=True,
+                default="unknown",
+                max_length=20,
+                verbose_name="Type",
+            ),
+        ),
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="versionautomationrule",
+            name="version_type",
+            field=models.CharField(
+                choices=[
+                    ("branch", "Branch"),
+                    ("tag", "Tag"),
+                    ("external", "Pull request"),
+                    ("unknown", "Unknown"),
+                ],
+                help_text="Type of version the rule should be applied to",
+                max_length=32,
+                verbose_name="Version type",
+            ),
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/readthedocs/projects/migrations/0165_alter_automationrulematch_version_type.py b/readthedocs/projects/migrations/0165_alter_automationrulematch_version_type.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..981ec4013ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/readthedocs/projects/migrations/0165_alter_automationrulematch_version_type.py
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.2.13 on 2026-06-03 09:38
+
+from django.db import migrations
+from django.db import models
+from django_safemigrate import Safe
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+    safe = Safe.before_deploy()
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ("projects", "0164_show_build_overview_in_comment_default_true"),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.AlterField(
+            model_name="automationrulematch",
+            name="version_type",
+            field=models.CharField(
+                choices=[
+                    ("branch", "Branch"),
+                    ("tag", "Tag"),
+                    ("external", "Pull request"),
+                    ("unknown", "Unknown"),
+                ],
+                max_length=32,
+            ),
+        ),
+    ]