merge

name	merge
description	Squash merge feature branch to main. Use when user says "merge to main", "squash merge", or "finish feature".

Squash merge completed feature branch to main with proper commit message.

Commit Format

Type	Format
Feature	As a [role] I [action] so that [benefit]
Fix	Fix: [description]
Refactor	Refactor: [description]
Style	Style: [description]

Rules

• Include Closes #XX on separate line when an issue number was identified (merges are when issues actually close — intermediate branch commits omit this; a direct-to-main commit closes its own issue via the commit skill). If no issue is associated, omit it.
• NEVER include "Co-Authored-By: Claude"
• Use detailed commit body for complex changes
• NEVER push — the user pushes manually, always.
• NEVER auto-commit the merge as a side effect — run it only when the skill is explicitly invoked.
• NEVER skip or shortcut — when invoked, always execute the full process above

Examples

Fix: Return proper error message for unauthorized AJAX requests
Closes #123

- Changed empty array response to include 'Authorization required' message
- Updated error handling middleware

As a student I can see my learning outcomes
Closes #80

Pre-Merge Checklist

• Tests pass locally
• No linting/type errors
• No console.log statements left in code
• No commented-out code
• Environment variables documented in .env.example
• Database migrations tested (if applicable)
• API changes documented (if applicable)

Process

NOTE: shell variables do not persist across separate Bash tool calls. Record the branch name and issue number from steps 1-2 in conversation/memory and substitute the literal values into later commands.

1. Branch sanity check + capture: run git rev-parse --abbrev-ref HEAD. Record the branch name in conversation memory — shell variables do not persist across Bash tool calls, so you must substitute the literal value into later commands. If the branch is main or master, abort — you cannot merge a branch into itself.
2. Find the issue number (for Closes #XX): inspect the branch name from step 1 for a leading number (the gh issue develop convention is <num>-description), or check git log main..HEAD for issue references. If none found, ask the user.
3. Verify pre-merge checklist
4. Run git log main..HEAD to see all branch commits
5. Run git diff main...HEAD to see total changes
6. Checkout main: git checkout main
7. Squash merge using the literal branch name from step 1: git merge --squash <branch-name>
8. Conflict check: run git status. If any unmerged paths exist, roll back with git reset --merge (do NOT use git merge --abort — --squash does not create MERGE_HEAD) and report the conflicts to the user. Do not commit a broken state.
9. Draft the commit message using the Commit Format table above.
10. Commit with the HEREDOC below — the invocation is the go-ahead, so no separate confirmation. Substitute Commit message here. with the drafted message from step 9. If an issue number was found in step 2, include Closes #<num> on its own line after a blank line. If no issue, omit the Closes line entirely. The HEREDOC terminator EOF MUST be at column 0:

git commit -m "$(cat <<'EOF'
Commit message here.

Closes #XX
EOF
)"