supersede-pr

name	supersede-pr
description	Safely replace one GitHub pull request with another. Use when a user says a PR supersedes/replaces an older PR, asks to auto-close a superseded PR, or needs guaranteed closure behavior after merge. This skill explicitly closes the superseded PR with gh CLI and verifies final PR states instead of relying on closing keywords.

Supersede PR

Overview

Use this skill to handle PR supersession end-to-end. Do not rely on Closes #<number> to close another PR. GitHub closing keywords close issues, not pull requests.

Workflow

1. Identify PR numbers and target repo.

• Capture old_pr (the superseded PR) and new_pr (the replacement PR).
• Resolve the repo with gh repo view --json nameWithOwner -q .nameWithOwner when not provided.

1. Create or update the replacement PR first.

• Open/push the replacement branch.
• Open the new PR.
• Include a traceable link in the PR body such as Supersedes #<old_pr>.

1. Close the superseded PR explicitly.

• Run:

scripts/close_superseded_pr.ts <old_pr> <new_pr>

• This adds a comment (Superseded by #<new_pr>.) and closes the old PR.

1. Verify states.

• Confirm the superseded PR is closed:

gh pr view <old_pr> --json state,url

• Confirm the replacement PR status/checks:

gh pr checks <new_pr>

Rules

1. Do not use Closes #<old_pr> when <old_pr> is a pull request.

• Use Closes/Fixes only for issues.
• Use Supersedes #<old_pr> or Refs #<old_pr> for PR-to-PR linkage.

1. Prefer explicit closure over implied automation.

• Always run the close command when the user asks to supersede a PR.
• Treat closure as incomplete until gh pr view <old_pr> returns CLOSED.

Script

Use the bundled script for deterministic closure:

• scripts/close_superseded_pr.ts