GitHub CLI

Overview

GitHub operations should be fast, scriptable, and verifiable. Stay in terminal flow—use web UI only for complex reviews.

MANDATORY: Always verify gh operations succeeded. Never assume commands worked.

Iron Law

• NO PR CREATION WITHOUT REVIEWING ALL COMMITS IN BRANCH
• NO PR MERGING WITHOUT USER CONFIRMATION
• NO FORCE OPERATIONS WITHOUT EXPLICIT REQUEST
• ALWAYS VERIFY GH OPERATIONS SUCCEEDED

When to Use / Not Use

Use gh CLI for: Creating PRs, monitoring CI, managing issues, checking out PRs for review, routine operations.

Use web UI for: Complex PR reviews, large diffs, repository settings, visual context.

Workflow 1: Creating a Pull Request

1. Gather Context (parallel)

git status
git diff main...HEAD
git log main..HEAD --oneline

2. Analyze

• Understand every change in diff
• No "wip" or "debug" commits
• Branch has clear purpose
• Tests exist for new functionality

3. Create PR

git push -u origin HEAD

gh pr create --title "feat: add auth middleware" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary
- Implements JWT authentication middleware
- Adds login/logout endpoints

## Test plan
- [x] Unit tests pass
- [x] Integration tests cover auth flow

Fixes #142
EOF
)"

4. Verify

gh pr view      # Confirm PR created
gh pr checks    # Verify CI started

Workflow 2: Monitor CI

gh run list --limit 5     # Recent runs
gh run view               # Latest run details
gh run view --log-failed  # Failed job logs
gh run watch              # Real-time monitoring

Workflow 3: Issue Management

gh issue list --assignee @me
gh issue view 123
gh issue create --title "bug: login fails" --body "..."
gh issue comment 123 --body "Fixed in PR #456"

Workflow 4: Review PR Locally

gh pr list
gh pr view 456
gh pr checkout 456
git log main..HEAD
git diff main...HEAD
# Test locally
gh pr review --approve
# or
gh pr review --request-changes --body "Needs unit tests"

Workflow 5: Check PR Status

gh pr status              # Your PR dashboard
gh pr view 123            # Full details
gh pr checks              # CI status
gh pr view 123 --json mergeable,mergeStateStatus

Safety Protocols

Never do without explicit user request:

• gh pr merge - Always confirm first
• gh pr close / gh issue close
• gh pr merge --admin - Bypasses checks
• Operations on repos you don't own

Always verify before operations:

• gh auth status - Check authentication
• gh repo view - Confirm correct repo
• gh pr checks - CI must pass before merge

Quick Reference

# Pull Requests
gh pr create --fill                    # From commit messages
gh pr create --title "..." --body "..."
gh pr list
gh pr view 123
gh pr view --web
gh pr checkout 123
gh pr checks
gh pr review --approve
gh pr review --request-changes --body "..."
gh pr merge --squash
gh pr status

# Workflow Runs
gh run list --limit 10
gh run watch
gh run view
gh run view --log-failed

# Issues
gh issue list
gh issue list --assignee @me
gh issue view 456
gh issue create --title "..." --body "..."
gh issue comment 123 --body "..."

# Repository
gh repo view
gh repo view --web

# Auth
gh auth status
gh auth login

PR Body Template

## Summary
- [Main change and why]
- [Secondary change]

## Test plan
- [ ] Unit tests pass
- [ ] Integration tests cover new behavior

Fixes #[issue]

Key Takeaways

1. Review all branch changes before PR - Not just latest commit
2. Verify CI before merge - gh pr checks must show green
3. Descriptive PR titles and bodies - High-level summary, not commit list
4. Terminal for routine, web for complex - Know when to switch
5. Confirm destructive operations - Merge, close, delete need user confirmation
6. Link issues to PRs - "Fixes #123" auto-closes on merge