diff --git a/.github/pull_request_template.md b/.github/pull_request_template.md
index 660d963..9835b54 100644
--- a/.github/pull_request_template.md
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -12,3 +12,13 @@ issue, please link to the issue here.
 - [ ] Documentation update required
 - [ ] Documentation updated [in another PR](_)
 - [ ] No documentation update required
+
+## SDK impact
+
+Protos are **not** bumped by the release automation. As the author of this
+change, you are responsible for bumping the protos version and the SDKs that
+consume it.
+
+- [ ] Protos version bumped
+- [ ] SDKs using these protos bumped (or follow-up tasks created and linked here)
+- [ ] No SDK bump required (e.g. comment/tooling-only change)