graphite-cli

name	graphite-cli
description	Use Graphite CLI (gt) for stacked PRs and branch management. Use when creating branches, committing changes, submitting PRs, syncing with trunk, or managing stacked pull requests.

Graphite CLI (gt)

Graphite CLI simplifies stacked PR workflows by automating branch management, rebasing, and PR creation.

Key Concepts

Term	Definition
Stack	A sequence of PRs, each building on its parent (main <- PR1 <- PR2)
Trunk	The base branch stacks merge into (usually main)
Upstack	PRs above a given PR (descendants)
Downstack	PRs below a given PR (ancestors)

Agent Usage Notes

CRITICAL: Always use --no-interactive for automation. Many commands prompt for input by default.

# Non-interactive submission (required for agents)
gt submit --no-interactive

# Or use --no-edit to skip PR metadata prompts
gt submit --no-edit

Branch names are POSITIONAL, not flags:

# CORRECT
gt create my-feature --all --message "feat: add feature"

# WRONG - branch name is not a flag
gt create --branch my-feature --all --message "feat: add feature"

The force-rename trap (renaming a branch that already has a PR):

gt rename <new> --force on a branch with an open PR detaches the Graphite↔PR association. The next gt submit creates a brand-new PR for the renamed branch; the original PR is left orphaned on the old branch name. There is no "repurpose the existing PR under a new branch name" path — GitHub PR head refs + Graphite tracking do not survive the force.

• If the goal is to reuse an existing PR as a stack's bottom, do NOT rename. Keep the original branch name as the bottom branch and split the upper work off it, so the original PR stays attached.
• If a rename is unavoidable, set expectations up front that the old PR will be closed/superseded by a fresh one.

Core Workflow

1. Create a Branch with Changes

# Stage all changes, create branch, commit with message
gt create my-branch-name --all --message "feat: description of changes"

2. Submit to GitHub

# Submit current branch and ancestors (creates/updates PRs)
gt submit --no-interactive

# Submit entire stack including descendants
gt submit --stack --no-interactive

3. Update a Branch (Address Feedback)

# Amend current commit with new changes (restacks descendants automatically)
gt modify --all

# Or create a new commit instead of amending
gt modify --commit --all --message "fix: address review feedback"

4. Sync with Trunk

# Fetch latest trunk, rebase all branches, prompt to delete merged branches
gt sync

Command Reference

Core Workflow Commands

Command	Description	Key Flags
gt create [name]	Create branch stacked on current, commit staged changes	-a/--all, -m/--message, -i/--insert
gt modify	Amend current commit or add new commit, auto-restacks	-a/--all, -c/--commit, -m/--message
gt submit	Push branches to GitHub, create/update PRs	-s/--stack, -d/--draft, -r/--reviewers, -m/--merge-when-ready, --no-edit
gt sync	Sync with remote, rebase branches, cleanup merged	-f/--force, -a/--all, --no-restack

Stack Navigation

Command	Description	Alias
gt checkout [branch]	Switch branch (interactive picker if no arg)	co
gt up [steps]	Go to child branch	u
gt down [steps]	Go to parent branch	d
gt top	Go to tip of current stack	t
gt bottom	Go to base of current stack (closest to trunk)	b

Branch Info

Command	Description	Key Flags
gt log	Show stack visualization	-s/--stack, -r/--reverse
gt log short	Compact stack view	alias: gt ls
gt log long	Full commit ancestry graph	alias: gt ll
gt info [branch]	Show branch details	-d/--diff, -p/--patch, -b/--body
gt parent	Show parent branch
gt children	Show child branches
gt trunk	Show trunk branch	-a/--all

Stack Management

Command	Description	Key Flags
gt restack	Rebase stack to ensure proper ancestry	--upstack, --downstack, --only
gt reorder	Reorder branches (opens editor)
gt move	Rebase branch onto different parent	-o/--onto <branch>
gt fold	Merge branch into parent	-k/--keep (keep current name)
gt absorb	Smart-amend staged changes to relevant commits	-a/--all, -f/--force, -d/--dry-run
gt split	Split branch into multiple single-commit branches	-c/--by-commit, -h/--by-hunk
gt squash	Squash all commits in branch into one	-m/--message, --no-edit

Branch Management

Command	Description	Key Flags
gt delete [name]	Delete branch and metadata	-f/--force
gt rename [name]	Rename branch (⚠ --force on a branch with an open PR detaches the PR; the next gt submit creates a NEW PR — see "The force-rename trap")	-f/--force
gt track [branch]	Start tracking branch with Graphite	-p/--parent, -f/--force
gt untrack [branch]	Stop tracking branch	-f/--force
gt get [branch]	Sync branch/PR from remote	-d/--downstack, -f/--force
gt pop	Delete branch but keep working tree changes
gt revert [sha]	Create revert branch for trunk commit	--sha (required)
gt unlink [branch]	Unlink PR from branch

GitHub/Web Commands

Command	Description	Key Flags
gt pr [branch]	Open PR page in browser	--stack
gt merge	Merge PRs from trunk to current branch	--dry-run, -c/--confirm
gt dash	Open Graphite dashboard

Recovery Commands

Command	Description	Key Flags
gt continue	Resume operation paused by conflict	-a/--all
gt abort	Abort operation paused by conflict	-f/--force
gt undo	Undo most recent Graphite mutation	-f/--force

Global Options

Available on all commands:

Flag	Description
--no-interactive	Disable prompts (required for automation)
--no-verify	Skip git hooks
--quiet / -q	Minimize output (implies --no-interactive)
--debug	Write debug output
--cwd <path>	Run in different directory
--help	Show command help

Conflict Resolution

When a rebase conflict occurs:

1. Graphite pauses and reports which files have conflicts
2. Resolve conflicts in your editor
3. Stage resolved files: git add <file>
4. Resume: gt continue
5. Or abort: gt abort

Best Practices

1. One logical change per branch - Keep PRs focused and reviewable
2. Use gt sync regularly - Stay up to date with trunk
3. Submit frequently - Keep PRs updated on GitHub
4. Use gt log - Visualize your stack before operations
5. Plan stacks before coding - Present stack structure to user for confirmation

Handling Pre-commit Hooks

If a pre-commit hook modifies files:

# After hook runs and modifies files, amend to include changes
gt modify --all

If hooks fail and you need to skip them:

gt create my-branch --all --message "feat: changes" --no-verify
gt submit --no-verify

See Also

• SPLITTING.md - Split one multi-file commit into a file-grouped stack (read before splitting a branch)
• EXAMPLES.md - Detailed workflow examples
• gt docs - Official documentation
• gt demo - Interactive demos
• gt guide - Extended guides