getting-prs-merged

name

getting-prs-merged

description

Use when the user explicitly asks to get a GitHub branch or pull request merged, shipped, over the line, or closed out end to end: "get this merged", "drive it to merge", "ship this PR", "merge and close out this branch", or resume a previously stated merge/closeout workflow. Do not use for single-step PR operations, PR-description-only, review-only, status-only, issue-triage, check-only, CI-check-only, comment-only, ready-only, open-PR-only, draft-PR-only, or publish-only requests unless the user also states a merge or closeout goal. Requests to inspect checks, blockers, readiness, comments, or policy without asking to continue toward merge do not trigger this skill. Requests that say to open a PR, leave it draft, or that the PR is not ready to merge do not trigger this skill.

Getting PRs Merged

Overview

This is the convenience wrapper for PR closeout when merge is the requested outcome. It coordinates the narrower skills and starts at the current state instead of replaying completed steps.

Core principle: move toward merge under the current repo and workflow policy. Be autonomous only inside the authority the user, repository, and current PR state actually grant.

Required Sub-Skills

Use the narrower skill when its boundary becomes active:

Situation	Skill
Stage, commit, or push task-owned work	checkpointing-and-publishing-git-work
Create the PR or write/refresh its title and body	publishing-reviewable-prs, which requires writing-reviewable-pr-descriptions
Mark ready, run review loops, inspect merge blockers, resolve threads, or merge	pr-review-orchestration; it uses publishing-reviewable-prs for guarded ready actuation
Inspect and address actionable unresolved review threads	github:gh-address-comments
Decide who owns readiness, thread resolution, or merge actuation	resolving-workflow-ownership through pr-review-orchestration

Read the applicable sub-skill before acting. Do not copy a weaker local substitute into this wrapper.

Workflow

1. Resolve the target repository, branch, and PR.
   • Use the current git remote and branch when the user points at "this" branch or PR.
   • If no target can be discovered, ask for the missing repo, branch, or PR.
2. Discover local policy before acting.
   • Read applicable AGENTS.md, repo-local skills, maintainer docs, PR templates, and current user instructions.
   • Treat those as constraints on autonomy, review policy, commit style, PR body requirements, ready-for-review, thread resolution, merge method, deploy commands, and branch cleanup.
   • When local policy narrows autonomy, follow that policy and report the owner or gate instead of forcing full closeout.
3. Inventory state before changing anything.
   • Check gh auth, branch status, local changes, existing PR, PR head SHA, current draft/ready state, checks, reviewers, and thread-aware review state.
   • Use pr-review-orchestration's scripts/pr_review_state.py --summary or an equivalent GraphQL review-thread query for thread state. Do not rely on gh pr view, status checks, bot status contexts, or auto-merge state alone to infer that conversations are resolved.
   • Preserve unrelated user changes. Ask before touching ambiguous or unrelated dirty work.
4. Start at the first incomplete stage.
   • No PR yet: checkpoint and push task-owned work, then use publishing-reviewable-prs to open a canonical draft PR.
   • Draft or stale PR body: use publishing-reviewable-prs to update the title/body from the real pushed diff and current verification.
   • Ready gate pending: use pr-review-orchestration; mark ready only after local readiness gates pass and the PR body records evidence.
   • Review comments or requested changes present: use github:gh-address-comments, then pr-review-orchestration for classification, evidence, thread resolution, and ledger updates.
   • Merge blockers present: use pr-review-orchestration to identify the next blocker before spending another review cycle.
5. Iterate until merged or blocked.
   • After each fix, run the targeted checks, push the verified head, refresh PR state, and use publishing-reviewable-prs when the title/body facts changed.
   • Before diagnosing a blocked merge as missing approval, branch policy, last-pusher approval, or bot-review state, refresh thread-aware PR state. If GitHub says the PR is blocked while checks are green and the head is mergeable, unresolved conversations are a first-class blocker to check, not an afterthought.
   • When pr-review-orchestration classifies an unresolved review thread as fixed, already fixed, stale, outdated, duplicate, or otherwise handled with evidence, resolve it yourself as part of merge closeout. Do not ask for separate confirmation just because resolving the thread satisfies a branch-policy gate; ask only when the thread needs a human decision or repo policy reserves resolution for another owner.
   • Request or rerun external review only when local readiness gates allow it and the review budget rules allow another cycle.
   • When CodeRabbit is the expected external reviewer and its latest check or comment says the review was skipped, do not treat that as a completed external review cycle. If local readiness gates pass and the external review budget allows another attempt, comment on the PR to request CodeRabbit explicitly, normally with @coderabbit-ai review. If the diff is already clean and the only remaining branch-protection gate is CodeRabbit approval, request that explicitly with @coderabbit-ai approve pls.
6. Merge only when the ownership and readiness gates pass.
   • Required checks are successful or explicitly accepted under repo policy.
   • Required approvals are present or not required.
   • Refreshed thread-aware state shows no unresolved review conversations, including outdated unresolved threads when conversation resolution is required.
   • No unresolved active thread contains an unhandled valid finding.
   • Evidenced, handled review threads have been resolved under pr-review-orchestration; only human-decision or policy-reserved threads remain open, and those are reported as the blocker.
   • The PR is mergeable, and merge actuation is agent-owned.
   • Use the repo's expected merge method and cleanup policy.

Stop Conditions

Stop and report the exact blocker when:

• GitHub authentication, repository scope, or PR identity is missing.
• Required checks fail, required approvals are absent, or branch protection blocks merge after thread-aware state confirms unresolved conversations are not the blocker.
• A review item needs a human decision or conflicts with accepted requirements.
• Merge actuation is not agent-owned.
• Local policy requires a step, approval, review strategy, deploy gate, or handoff that has not happened yet.
• Another external review cycle needs explicit approval under pr-review-orchestration.
• The next step would delete, overwrite, force-push, or otherwise risk user work without clear permission.

Closeout

Finish with the PR URL, merge result or blocker, exact verification evidence, review-thread disposition, branch/worktree cleanup, and any repo-required deploy or follow-up commands.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Treating "PR exists" as review-ready	Refresh the body, verification, and readiness ledger first.
Treating "checks pass" as merge-ready	Inspect approvals, requested reviewers, thread state, mergeability, and ownership.
Explaining a blocked green PR as approval or ruleset trouble before checking conversations	Run pr_review_state.py --summary --json or equivalent GraphQL review-thread state, then resolve or report unresolved threads first.
Assuming full autonomy from "get this merged"	Read repo and workflow policy first; autonomy is scoped by those instructions.
Skipping repo-local closeout rules	Apply local merge method, review policy, deploy guidance, and branch cleanup rules.
Treating a skipped CodeRabbit check as final review evidence	Comment on the PR to request CodeRabbit explicitly when gates and budget allow it.
Re-running review to diagnose a blocked merge	Read thread-aware PR state and branch protection first.
Continuing past a human-owned decision	Report evidence and the decision owner instead of deciding by implication.
Applying this to any PR-related request	Use this wrapper only when merge closeout is the goal.