gh

name

gh

description

How to use the GitHub CLI (gh) to work with GitHub issues, pull requests, Actions workflows, releases, and repositories. Use this skill whenever the user provides a URL containing "github.com" in the hostname, mentions pull requests, GitHub issues, GitHub Actions, or wants to interact with a GitHub remote. Also use this skill when the user mentions "gh", "PR", "pull request", or when you detect the git remote points to a GitHub instance (look for "github" in the remote URL). This skill is the GitHub equivalent of using `glab` for GitLab -- if the project is on GitHub, use this skill instead.

gh CLI Skill

Use the gh CLI for ALL GitHub-related tasks including working with issues, pull requests, Actions workflows, releases, and repositories. If given a GitHub URL, use gh to get the information needed.

Before you start

1. Detect GitHub URLs: if the user provided a URL containing "github.com", this is a GitHub resource. Extract the owner and repo from the URL and proceed with gh commands using -R owner/repo.
2. Confirm it's a GitHub project: check git remote -v for "github" in the URL. If so, use gh (not glab).
3. Verify authentication: run gh auth status. If not authenticated, stop and ask the user -- do not proceed.

CLI-first principle

Always prefer gh subcommands (gh issue list, gh pr list, gh run list, etc.) over raw gh api calls. The CLI subcommands provide better output formatting, pagination, and are less error-prone. Use gh api only when no subcommand covers the operation (see the gh api section below).

Targeting a repository

Before running any gh command, determine the repository context:

1. User provided a GitHub URL (e.g., https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/42 or https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/15): Extract the owner/repo from the URL, then use -R:

   # URL: https://github.com/acme/webapp/pull/15
   # Extracted: acme/webapp
   gh pr view 15 -R acme/webapp
   gh issue list -R acme/webapp --label "bug"
   

2. Inside a git repo with a GitHub remote: no -R needed, gh detects the repository from the remote automatically.

3. No URL provided and not inside a git repo: ask the user for the full GitHub repository URL before proceeding. Do not guess or assume a repository.

Handling auth errors

If any gh command fails with "authentication", "401", "403", or "could not determine", stop immediately. Do NOT work around auth failures with WebFetch, curl, or glab.

Present the user with these options:

Option 1: Browser login (preferred -- more secure, tokens auto-refresh)

gh auth login --web
# Browser opens -> authorize -> done

Option 2: Personal Access Token

Tell the user to generate a token at: https://github.com/settings/tokens?type=beta -- recommend fine-grained tokens with minimal scopes and a short expiry (30-90 days).

gh auth login --with-token < token.txt

Option 3: Skip the operation

Core terminology

GitLab	GitHub	CLI
Merge Request	Pull Request	gh pr
Snippet	Gist	gh gist
CI/CD	Actions	gh run, gh workflow
GROUP/PROJECT (supports nesting)	OWNER/REPO	--
MR !15	PR #15	--

Issues and PRs both use # prefix.

---

Writing on behalf of the user

Whenever you create or post content on GitHub on behalf of the user -- including PR descriptions (gh pr create), issue descriptions (gh issue create), comments (gh pr comment, gh issue comment), reviews (gh pr review), or gh api body fields -- you must prepend the following header to make it clear the content was authored by an AI agent acting on behalf of the user:

> :robot: _This was written by an AI agent on behalf of @<username>._

Before writing any content, always fetch the username first and embed it in the header. Do not hardcode a username or leave the placeholder unfilled:

# Step 1: fetch the username (do this once per session)
GH_USERNAME=$(gh api user --jq '.login')

# Step 2: use it in the content
gh pr create \
  --title "feat: add dark mode" \
  --body "> :robot: _This was written by an AI agent on behalf of @${GH_USERNAME}._

## Summary

- Adds dark mode toggle to settings page
- ..."

Example -- adding a comment to issue #42:

gh issue comment 42 \
  --body "> :robot: _This was written by an AI agent on behalf of @${GH_USERNAME}._

## Triage

Root cause identified: ..."

This applies to every piece of content the agent creates, regardless of length or context. Never skip the header.

Heredoc warning: when using cat <<EOF to build the body, never single-quote the delimiter (<<'EOF'). Single-quoted heredocs suppress variable expansion and produce the literal string $GH_USERNAME instead of the resolved value. Always use an unquoted delimiter:

gh pr create --title "feat: add dark mode" --body "$(cat <<EOF
> :robot: _This was written by an AI agent on behalf of @${GH_USERNAME}._

## Summary

- Adds dark mode toggle to settings page
EOF
)"

---

Issues

gh issue create --title "Bug: ..." --body "..." --label bug --label "high-priority" --assignee "@me"
gh issue list --assignee @me                      # list my issues
gh issue list --label "bug" --search "login"      # filter and search
gh issue view 42 --comments                       # view with comments
gh issue comment 42 --body "Root cause found."    # add a comment
gh issue edit 42 --add-label "confirmed"          # update metadata
gh issue close 42                                 # close (ask confirmation first)
gh issue reopen 42

Issue template selection

Many GitHub projects define issue templates (stored in .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/) that encode the team's expected structure -- sections to fill, checklists, labels. Skipping these creates issues that don't match the project's conventions and forces manual cleanup.

Use --template to select a template by name:

# List templates by checking the repository
ls .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
# Or via API
gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/contents/.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE --jq '.[].name'

# Create with a template
gh issue create --template "Bug Report" --title "Login crash on empty password"

If no --template is specified and templates exist, gh issue create will prompt interactively. When running non-interactively, check for templates first and ask the user which one to use.

Label selection process

If the user specified exact labels, use them. Otherwise:

1. Discover available labels: gh label list (or gh label list --json name,description for more detail)
2. Propose labels that fit the issue context.
3. Ask the user to confirm or adjust before creating the issue.

Do NOT invent label names. Only propose labels that actually exist in the repository.

Create a branch from an issue

gh issue develop 42 --checkout              # create branch linked to issue and check it out
gh issue develop 42 --name fix/issue-42     # custom branch name
gh issue develop 42 --base develop          # branch from a specific base

---

Pull Requests

Creating PRs

gh pr create --title "Fix login crash" --body "Closes #42" \
  --base develop --reviewer "marco" --assignee "@me"
gh pr create --fill                   # title/description from commits
gh pr create --fill-verbose           # commits msg+body for description
gh pr create --draft --fill           # draft PR

Include Closes #42 or Fixes #42 in the body to auto-close issues on merge.

PR title format

PR titles must follow the Conventional Commits format:

<type>[(optional scope)]: <description>

Common types: feat, fix, docs, style, refactor, perf, test, build, ci, chore, revert.

Use a scope when the change is clearly scoped to a module, component, or area of the codebase. Keep the description lowercase, concise, and in imperative mood.

Examples:

feat(auth): add JWT token refresh
fix: prevent crash on empty password submission
docs(api): update rate limiting section
refactor(parser): simplify config validation logic
ci: add deploy stage for staging environment
chore: bump dependencies

Breaking changes append ! before the colon: feat(api)!: change response format for /users endpoint.

PR creation checklist (follow this carefully):

1. Inspect branch state: git status, git log <base>...HEAD --oneline, git diff <base>...HEAD
2. Draft title/description from the actual diff -- reference specific files, functions, behaviors. Do not just restate the user's request.
3. Push: git push -u origin HEAD if not yet pushed.
4. Create: gh pr create with all relevant flags.
5. Return the PR URL to the user.

Reviewing and managing PRs

gh pr view 15 --comments              # view PR with comments
gh pr diff 15                         # see the diff
gh pr diff 15 --name-only             # list changed files
gh pr list --author @me               # my PRs
gh pr checkout 15                     # checkout locally
gh pr comment 15 --body "LGTM"       # leave a top-level comment
gh pr review 15 --approve --body "Looks good"  # formal approval
gh pr review 15 --request-changes --body "Please fix..." # request changes
gh pr merge 15 --squash --delete-branch
gh pr update-branch 15                # update with latest base branch
gh pr edit 15 --add-label "reviewed"
gh pr ready 15                        # mark draft as ready for review
gh pr ready 15 --undo                 # convert back to draft
gh pr close 15                        # close without merging

Code review workflow: view PR -> read diff -> check CI (gh pr checks) -> read comments -> leave feedback -> approve or request changes.

Approval and comments are separate actions -- gh pr review --approve handles GitHub's formal review system, gh pr comment posts a timeline comment.

PR checks (CI status per PR)

gh pr checks 15                       # one-shot status
gh pr checks 15 --watch               # stream until all checks finish
gh pr checks 15 --watch --interval 5  # custom refresh interval
gh pr checks 15 --required            # only show required checks
gh pr checks 15 --fail-fast           # exit on first failure in watch mode

---

PR Comments and Reviews

GitHub PRs have three distinct comment types. Using the wrong one is a common mistake -- a top-level comment when the user wanted a threaded reply to an inline review creates noise and loses context.

Comment types

Type	What it is	How to post
Top-level comment	Timeline comment on the PR (like an issue comment)	gh pr comment 15 --body "..."
Review	Formal review: approve, request changes, or comment with a body	gh pr review 15 --approve --body "..."
Inline review comment	Comment on a specific line of code, starting a thread	gh api (no CLI subcommand)
Reply to inline comment	Threaded reply to an existing inline code comment	gh api (no CLI subcommand)

Replying to review comments

There is no gh pr subcommand for replying to inline code review comments. You must use gh api.

Step 1: List review comments to find the comment ID

# List all review comments on PR #15
gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/15/comments \
  --jq '.[] | {id, user: .user.login, path, line, body: (.body | .[0:80])}'

Each comment has an id field. Top-level review comments have no in_reply_to_id; replies do.

Step 2: Reply to a specific comment

Use the dedicated replies endpoint:

gh api -X POST repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/15/comments/<comment_id>/replies \
  -f body="> :robot: _This was written by an AI agent on behalf of @${GH_USERNAME}._

The null check is needed because..."

Constraint: replies to replies are not supported by the API -- you can only reply to top-level review comments (those without in_reply_to_id). If the comment you want to reply to is itself a reply, reply to the parent comment instead.

Step 3 (alternative): Reply using in_reply_to

You can also reply via the create comment endpoint with the in_reply_to parameter. When in_reply_to is set, all other parameters except body are ignored:

gh api -X POST repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/15/comments \
  -f body="Agreed, good catch." \
  -F in_reply_to=<comment_id>

Creating a new inline review comment

To start a new thread on a specific line of code:

# Get the latest commit SHA on the PR
COMMIT_SHA=$(gh pr view 15 --json headRefOid --jq '.headRefOid')

gh api -X POST repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/15/comments \
  -f body="This null check should handle empty strings too." \
  -f commit_id="$COMMIT_SHA" \
  -f path="src/auth.ts" \
  -F line=42 \
  -f side="RIGHT"

Parameters:

• commit_id (required): use the PR's HEAD commit SHA. Using an older commit may render the comment outdated.
• path (required): relative file path in the repo.
• line (required for line comments): line number in the diff.
• side: RIGHT for additions (green), LEFT for deletions (red).
• start_line + start_side: for multi-line comments, the first line of the range.

Responding to all open review comments

When the user asks to respond to review comments on a PR, follow this workflow:

1. List all review comments: gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/15/comments --jq '.[] | {id, in_reply_to_id, user: .user.login, path, line, body}'
2. Filter to top-level comments (those without in_reply_to_id) that haven't been addressed yet.
3. Present a summary to the user: who commented, on which file/line, what they said.
4. Draft replies and get user confirmation before posting.
5. Post replies using the replies endpoint for each comment.

Never post replies without showing them to the user first.

Editing and deleting comments

gh pr comment and gh issue comment only support editing/deleting your last comment:

gh pr comment 15 --edit-last --body "Updated comment"   # edit your last comment
gh pr comment 15 --delete-last                           # delete your last comment

To edit or delete an arbitrary comment by ID, use the API:

# Edit a PR timeline comment (issue comment)
gh api -X PATCH repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/comments/<comment_id> -f body="Updated"

# Edit a review comment
gh api -X PATCH repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/comments/<comment_id> -f body="Updated"

# Delete a review comment
gh api -X DELETE repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/comments/<comment_id>

---

GitHub Actions / CI

gh run list                             # recent runs for current branch
gh run list --branch main               # runs on a specific branch
gh run list --workflow "ci.yml"          # filter by workflow
gh run list --status failure             # filter by status
gh run view <run-id>                    # run summary
gh run view <run-id> --verbose          # show job steps
gh run view <run-id> --log              # full logs
gh run view <run-id> --log-failed       # logs only for failed steps
gh run view <run-id> --job <job-id>     # specific job
gh run watch <run-id>                   # stream status in real-time until done
gh run watch <run-id> --exit-status     # exit non-zero if run fails
gh run rerun <run-id>                   # rerun entire run
gh run rerun <run-id> --job <job-id>    # rerun specific job
gh run cancel <run-id>                  # cancel running workflow
gh run download <run-id>                # download artifacts
gh run download <run-id> --name build   # download specific artifact

Workflows

gh workflow list                        # list all workflows
gh workflow view ci.yml                 # view workflow details
gh workflow view ci.yml --yaml          # view workflow YAML
gh workflow run ci.yml                  # trigger workflow_dispatch
gh workflow run ci.yml --ref develop    # trigger on specific ref
gh workflow run ci.yml -f version="1.0" -f env="prod"  # with inputs
gh workflow enable ci.yml               # enable disabled workflow
gh workflow disable ci.yml              # disable workflow

Monitoring a run

To watch a specific run, first find its ID, then watch it:

# Find the run ID
gh run list --branch main --limit 1 --json databaseId --jq '.[0].databaseId'

# Watch it
gh run watch <run-id>

# Or watch with compact output (only relevant/failed steps)
gh run watch <run-id> --compact

gh run watch takes a run ID, not a branch name. To monitor a run on a specific branch, always look up the run ID first via gh run list --branch <branch>.

For PR-specific checks, use gh pr checks instead -- it shows all status checks on a PR and supports --watch:

gh pr checks 15 --watch

Viewing failed logs

When a run fails, --log-failed is the most efficient way to see what went wrong:

gh run view <run-id> --log-failed

This shows only the output from failed steps, avoiding hundreds of lines of passing step output.

Actions caches

gh cache list                           # list all caches
gh cache list --limit 50                # show more
gh cache delete <cache-id>              # delete specific cache

---

Releases

gh release list                         # list releases
gh release view v1.0.0                  # view specific release
gh release create v1.0.0 --notes "Release notes" --title "Version 1.0.0"
gh release create v1.0.0 --generate-notes     # auto-generate notes
gh release create v1.0.0 --notes-file notes.md
gh release create v1.0.0 --draft               # draft release
gh release create v1.0.0 --prerelease          # pre-release
gh release create v1.0.0 ./dist/*.tar.gz       # with assets
gh release upload v1.0.0 ./file.tar.gz         # upload asset to existing release
gh release download v1.0.0                      # download all assets
gh release download v1.0.0 --pattern "*.tar.gz" # download matching assets
gh release edit v1.0.0 --notes "Updated notes"
gh release delete v1.0.0                        # delete (NEVER do this -- see Safety Protocol)

---

Search

gh search lets you search across all of GitHub, not just the current repository:

gh search issues "label:bug state:open" --repo owner/repo
gh search prs "is:open review:required" --repo owner/repo
gh search code "TODO" --repo owner/repo
gh search commits "fix auth" --repo owner/repo
gh search repos "stars:>1000 language:python"

All search commands support --json, --jq, and --limit for structured output.

---

Safety Protocol

Your default role is read-only. Do NOT proactively suggest, offer, or execute state-changing operations. Only perform write or mutating operations when the user explicitly asks for them.

Tier 1 -- FORBIDDEN (never execute these)

These commands are never executed, regardless of what the user asks. If the user needs one of these, explain the consequences and tell them how to run it manually.

Action	Command
Delete repo	gh repo delete
Delete release	gh release delete
Delete workflow runs	gh run delete
Destructive API calls	gh api -X DELETE on critical resources
Force push to default branch	git push --force to main/master/default
Hard reset	git reset --hard

Tier 2 -- EXPLICIT REQUEST ONLY (never suggest, never offer)

These commands are executed only when the user explicitly requests them with clear intent (e.g., "merge the PR", "close issue #42"). Never propose them, never include them in automated workflows, never ask "should I merge/close this?".

Before executing, always explain what will happen and ask for confirmation.

Action	Command
Merge PR	gh pr merge
Merge bypassing checks	gh pr merge --admin (bypasses branch protection -- extra caution)
Close issue or PR	gh issue close, gh pr close
Delete issue	gh issue delete
Cancel workflow run	gh run cancel
Disable workflow	gh workflow disable
Modify secrets	gh secret set, gh secret delete
Modify variables	gh variable set, gh variable delete
Delete release assets	gh release delete-asset
Delete all caches	gh cache delete --all
Force push (non-default branch)	git push --force
Skip hooks	--no-verify

Tier 3 -- SAFE WITH CONFIRMATION

These operations can be proposed when relevant, but require a brief confirmation before execution.

Action	Command
Update PR branch	gh pr update-branch
Update metadata (labels, assignees, etc.)	gh pr edit, gh issue edit
Change draft status	gh pr ready, gh pr ready --undo
Rerun workflow	gh run rerun
Trigger workflow	gh workflow run

Git safety

• Prefer gh pr update-branch over manual rebase + force push
• When in doubt about target branch, check the repo default: gh repo view --json defaultBranchRef --jq '.defaultBranchRef.name'

---

gh api -- last resort for advanced operations

Do NOT use gh api when a CLI subcommand can do the job. For issues, PRs, runs, labels -- always use the dedicated subcommands first. Use gh api only for operations not covered by any subcommand (e.g., review comment replies, team membership, GraphQL queries).

gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/collaborators                              # GET
gh api -X POST repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues -f title="New" -f body="..." # POST
gh api -X PATCH repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/15 -f title="Updated"      # PATCH
gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues --paginate                          # paginate

Placeholder variables

Inside a git repo, {owner}, {repo}, and {branch} are auto-resolved:

gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls    # resolves to the current repo

Native --jq filtering

Unlike glab (which requires piping to external jq), gh api has built-in --jq support:

gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls --jq '.[].title'
gh api user --jq '.login'
gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/contributors --jq '.[] | {login: .login, contributions: .contributions}'

Use --jq instead of piping to jq whenever possible -- it's faster and avoids a dependency.

GraphQL

gh api graphql -f query='
  query {
    repository(owner: "owner", name: "repo") {
      pullRequests(states: OPEN, first: 10) {
        nodes {
          number
          title
          author { login }
          reviewDecision
        }
      }
    }
  }
'

For comprehensive API patterns (GraphQL, pagination, advanced queries), read references/api-patterns.md.