github-cli-helper

mkaczkowski's avatarfrom mkaczkowski

Execute GitHub CLI commands using the correct Homebrew path. Use when interacting with GitHub PRs, issues, repos, or any gh command.

⭐2stars🔀0forks📁View on GitHub🕐Updated Dec 8, 2025
[Developer Tools]

When & Why to Use This Skill

The GitHub CLI Helper is a specialized Claude skill designed to streamline software development workflows by enabling seamless interaction with GitHub directly through the command line. It ensures reliable execution of GitHub CLI (gh) commands by utilizing optimized Homebrew paths, allowing users to manage pull requests, issues, repositories, and GitHub Actions workflows with high efficiency and precision.

Use Cases

  • Streamlining Pull Request Management: Automate the creation, review, and merging of PRs without leaving the chat interface to accelerate the code review cycle.
  • Efficient Issue Tracking: Quickly create, list, and resolve GitHub issues to maintain project momentum and organize task backlogs.
  • Repository Administration: Simplify repository tasks such as cloning, forking, and configuring settings using standardized CLI commands for better environment consistency.
  • CI/CD Workflow Monitoring: Monitor, view details, and re-run GitHub Actions workflows to ensure continuous integration stability and rapid debugging of build failures.
  • Automated Documentation & Reporting: Leverage JSON output and CLI commands to programmatically process repository data and generate status reports for PRs and issues.
namegithub-cli-helper
descriptionExecute GitHub CLI commands using the correct Homebrew path. Use when interacting with GitHub PRs, issues, repos, or any gh command.

GitHub CLI Helper

Instructions

Always use the full Homebrew path when executing GitHub CLI commands to ensure reliability across different shell environments.

IMPORTANT: Use /opt/homebrew/bin/gh instead of just gh for all GitHub CLI operations.

Common Operations

Pull Requests

# Create a pull request
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh pr create --base main --title "Title" --body "Description"

# List pull requests
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh pr list

# View PR details
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh pr view <number>

# Check PR status
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh pr status

# Merge a pull request
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh pr merge <number>

# Close a pull request
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh pr close <number>

# Review a pull request
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh pr review <number>

Issues

# Create an issue
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh issue create --title "Title" --body "Description"

# List issues
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh issue list

# View issue details
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh issue view <number>

# Close an issue
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh issue close <number>

Repository Operations

# Clone a repository
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh repo clone <owner>/<repo>

# View repository details
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh repo view

# Create a repository
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh repo create <name>

# Fork a repository
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh repo fork

Workflow & Actions

# List workflow runs
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh run list

# View workflow run details
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh run view <run-id>

# Re-run a workflow
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh run rerun <run-id>

Authentication & Configuration

# Check authentication status
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh auth status

# Login to GitHub
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh auth login

# Set default repository
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh repo set-default

Best Practices

  1. Always use full path: /opt/homebrew/bin/gh not gh
  2. Check authentication first: Run /opt/homebrew/bin/gh auth status before operations
  3. Use heredocs for multi-line content: When creating PRs or issues with complex bodies
  4. Leverage JSON output: Use --json flag for programmatic processing
  5. Handle errors gracefully: Check exit codes and provide helpful error messages

Examples

Create PR with detailed body

/opt/homebrew/bin/gh pr create \
  --base main \
  --title "feat: add new feature" \
  --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Description
Detailed description here

## Changes
- Change 1
- Change 2
EOF
)"

List PRs in JSON format

/opt/homebrew/bin/gh pr list --json number,title,state,author

Create issue with labels

/opt/homebrew/bin/gh issue create \
  --title "Bug: Something is broken" \
  --body "Description of the bug" \
  --label bug,priority-high

Comment on a PR

/opt/homebrew/bin/gh pr comment 123 --body "Thanks for the contribution!"

Troubleshooting

Command not found

If /opt/homebrew/bin/gh doesn't exist, check alternative locations:

  • /usr/local/bin/gh (Intel Macs)
  • Use which gh to find the actual location

Authentication errors

Run /opt/homebrew/bin/gh auth login and ensure repo scope is granted.

Enterprise GitHub

Set the GH_HOST environment variable:

export GH_HOST=github.company.com
/opt/homebrew/bin/gh pr list

Tips

  • Use --help flag to see all available options for any command
  • Combine with jq for advanced JSON processing
  • Use --web flag to open resources in browser
  • Set aliases in shell config for frequently used commands