github-cli

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Use GitHub CLI (gh) to manage issues and pull requests from Claude Code. Use when the user wants to create PRs, link commits to issues, fetch PR context, or automate GitHub workflows. Includes install/auth checks, safe branching, clean commits, and PR creation templates.

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[Developer Tools]

When & Why to Use This Skill

This Claude skill integrates the GitHub CLI (gh) directly into the agentic coding environment, enabling seamless management of the entire development lifecycle. It automates repetitive tasks such as branch synchronization, pull request creation, and issue tracking, allowing developers to maintain focus while ensuring adherence to best practices like conventional commits and safe branching strategies.

Use Cases

  • End-to-End PR Automation: Automatically sync with the main branch, create feature branches, and generate pull requests with pre-filled templates after code changes.
  • Integrated Issue Management: List, view, and link GitHub issues to current development tasks without switching contexts or leaving the terminal.
  • CI/CD Workflow Monitoring: Real-time tracking of GitHub Action runs and workflow statuses to ensure build stability before merging code.
  • Standardized Git Workflows: Enforce consistent commit messages and selective staging to maintain a clean and professional repository history.
namegithub-cli
descriptionUse GitHub CLI (gh) to manage issues and pull requests from Claude Code. Use when the user wants to create PRs, link commits to issues, fetch PR context, or automate GitHub workflows. Includes install/auth checks, safe branching, clean commits, and PR creation templates.

GitHub CLI (gh) integration

Preconditions (verify before doing anything)

  1. gh --version works
  2. gh auth status is authenticated
  3. Repo has a remote (usually origin) and correct upstream branch

If missing, propose the install/auth steps (don't guess).

Installation (reference)

  • macOS: brew install gh
  • Ubuntu/Debian: install from GitHub CLI packages
  • Windows: winget install --id GitHub.cli

Authentication

gh auth login
# Follow prompts to authenticate via browser

Standard flow (issue-driven)

1) Sync main branch

git checkout main
git pull --rebase

2) Create branch

git checkout -b feat/<short-slug>  # or fix/<slug>

3) Implement changes

Follow EPCP workflow if available

4) Verify locally

# Run tests/lint/build
npm test  # or pytest, etc.

5) Commit

git add -p  # Stage selectively
git commit -m "feat: description"

6) Push

git push -u origin <branch>

7) Create PR

gh pr create --fill  # or provide title/body explicitly

PR body template

Use templates/pr-body.md

Useful gh commands

Issues

gh issue list                    # List open issues
gh issue view 123                # View issue details
gh issue create                  # Create new issue
gh issue close 123               # Close issue

Pull Requests

gh pr list                       # List open PRs
gh pr view 123                   # View PR details
gh pr create --title "..." --body "..."
gh pr merge 123                  # Merge PR
gh pr checkout 123               # Checkout PR branch

Workflow

gh run list                      # List workflow runs
gh run view 123                  # View run details
gh run watch 123                 # Watch run in real-time

Safe defaults

  • Stage selectively (git add -p)
  • Avoid committing secrets or local config
  • If CI is required, ensure a minimal test step is run before PR
  • Never force push to main/master

Commit message format (conventional commits)

type(scope): description

feat: new feature
fix: bug fix
docs: documentation
style: formatting
refactor: code restructuring
test: tests
chore: maintenance