| name | pull-request-management |
| description | GitHub PR operations - create, list, merge, update, and manage pull requests using gh CLI |
GitHub Pull Request Management Skill
This skill provides comprehensive pull request (PR) management operations including creating, listing, reviewing, merging, and managing PR status.
Available Operations
1. Create Pull Request
Create a new pull request from one branch to another.
2. List Pull Requests
List PRs with filters (state, base branch, head branch, etc.).
3. Get Pull Request Details
Retrieve detailed information about a specific PR.
4. Get Pull Request Files
View the list of files changed in a PR.
5. Get Pull Request Status
Check the status of CI/CD checks and reviews.
6. Get Pull Request Comments
View review comments on a PR.
7. Get Pull Request Reviews
View all reviews submitted on a PR.
8. Update Pull Request Branch
Update PR branch with latest changes from base branch.
9. Merge Pull Request
Merge a pull request using different merge strategies.
Usage Examples
Create a Pull Request
Basic PR:
gh pr create --repo owner/repo-name \
--base main \
--head feature-branch \
--title "Add new feature" \
--body "This PR adds a new feature to the application"
PR with labels and reviewers:
gh pr create --repo owner/repo-name \
--base main \
--head feature-branch \
--title "Fix critical bug" \
--body "Fixes issue #123" \
--label "bug" \
--label "urgent" \
--reviewer reviewer1,reviewer2
Draft PR:
gh pr create --repo owner/repo-name \
--base main \
--head feature-branch \
--title "WIP: New feature" \
--body "Work in progress" \
--draft
Interactive PR creation:
gh pr create --repo owner/repo-name
# Follow prompts for base, title, and body
PR from current branch:
cd repo-name
git checkout feature-branch
gh pr create --title "My feature" --body "Description"
PR with template:
gh pr create --repo owner/repo-name --template pull_request_template.md
List Pull Requests
List all open PRs:
gh pr list --repo owner/repo-name
List all PRs (including closed):
gh pr list --repo owner/repo-name --state all
List closed/merged PRs:
gh pr list --repo owner/repo-name --state closed
gh pr list --repo owner/repo-name --state merged
Filter by base branch:
gh pr list --repo owner/repo-name --base main
Filter by head branch:
gh pr list --repo owner/repo-name --head feature-branch
Filter by label:
gh pr list --repo owner/repo-name --label "needs-review"
Filter by author:
gh pr list --repo owner/repo-name --author username
Filter by assignee:
gh pr list --repo owner/repo-name --assignee username
Limit results:
gh pr list --repo owner/repo-name --limit 50
Custom JSON output:
gh pr list --repo owner/repo-name --json number,title,state,headRefName --jq '.[] | "\(.number): \(.title) (\(.headRefName))"'
Get Pull Request Details
View PR in terminal:
gh pr view 123 --repo owner/repo-name
View with comments:
gh pr view 123 --repo owner/repo-name --comments
View in browser:
gh pr view 123 --repo owner/repo-name --web
JSON output:
gh pr view 123 --repo owner/repo-name --json number,title,body,state,isDraft,mergeable,reviews,statusCheckRollup
Get PR by branch:
gh pr view feature-branch --repo owner/repo-name
Get Pull Request Files
List changed files:
gh pr diff 123 --repo owner/repo-name --name-only
View full diff:
gh pr diff 123 --repo owner/repo-name
View diff for specific file:
gh pr diff 123 --repo owner/repo-name -- path/to/file.js
Get file list with stats:
gh api repos/owner/repo-name/pulls/123/files --jq '.[] | "\(.filename): +\(.additions) -\(.deletions)"'
Get Pull Request Status
Check overall status:
gh pr view 123 --repo owner/repo-name --json statusCheckRollup
Check if checks passed:
gh pr checks 123 --repo owner/repo-name
Watch checks in real-time:
gh pr checks 123 --repo owner/repo-name --watch
Check specific workflow:
gh pr checks 123 --repo owner/repo-name --json | jq '.[] | select(.name=="CI")'
Get Pull Request Comments
View comments:
gh pr view 123 --repo owner/repo-name --comments
Get review comments as JSON:
gh api repos/owner/repo-name/pulls/123/comments --jq '.[] | {author: .user.login, body: .body, path: .path}'
List all conversation threads:
gh pr view 123 --repo owner/repo-name --json comments --jq '.comments[] | "\(.author.login): \(.body)"'
Get Pull Request Reviews
View all reviews:
gh pr view 123 --repo owner/repo-name --json reviews
Check review status:
gh pr view 123 --repo owner/repo-name --json reviewDecision
# Returns: APPROVED, CHANGES_REQUESTED, or REVIEW_REQUIRED
List reviewers:
gh pr view 123 --repo owner/repo-name --json reviews --jq '.reviews[] | {reviewer: .author.login, state: .state}'
Update Pull Request Branch
Update with base branch:
gh pr checkout 123 --repo owner/repo-name
git pull origin main
git push
Rebase on base branch:
gh pr checkout 123 --repo owner/repo-name
git fetch origin
git rebase origin/main
git push --force-with-lease
Merge base into PR branch:
gh pr checkout 123 --repo owner/repo-name
git merge origin/main
git push
Using GitHub API to update:
gh api repos/owner/repo-name/pulls/123/update-branch -X PUT
Merge Pull Request
Merge with merge commit:
gh pr merge 123 --repo owner/repo-name --merge
Squash and merge:
gh pr merge 123 --repo owner/repo-name --squash
Rebase and merge:
gh pr merge 123 --repo owner/repo-name --rebase
Auto-merge when checks pass:
gh pr merge 123 --repo owner/repo-name --auto --squash
Merge with custom commit message:
gh pr merge 123 --repo owner/repo-name --squash --subject "feat: add new feature" --body "Detailed description"
Delete branch after merge:
gh pr merge 123 --repo owner/repo-name --squash --delete-branch
Merge and close issues:
gh pr merge 123 --repo owner/repo-name --squash --body "Fixes #456, closes #457"
Common Patterns
Complete PR Workflow
# 1. Create feature branch
cd repo-name
git checkout -b feature/new-feature
git commit -m "Add feature"
git push -u origin feature/new-feature
# 2. Create PR
gh pr create --title "Add new feature" --body "Implements feature X"
# 3. Check status
gh pr checks --watch
# 4. Request reviews
gh pr edit --add-reviewer team1,user1
# 5. Respond to feedback
git commit -m "Address review comments"
git push
# 6. Merge when ready
gh pr merge --squash --delete-branch
Review and Approval Workflow
# 1. List PRs needing review
gh pr list --label "needs-review" --repo owner/repo-name
# 2. View PR details
gh pr view 123 --comments
# 3. Check out PR locally
gh pr checkout 123
# 4. Test changes
npm test
# 5. Add review (see code-review skill)
gh pr review 123 --approve --body "LGTM!"
# 6. Merge if approved
gh pr merge 123 --squash
Handle Merge Conflicts
# 1. Check if PR has conflicts
gh pr view 123 --json mergeable
# 2. Check out PR
gh pr checkout 123
# 3. Update with base branch
git fetch origin
git merge origin/main
# 4. Resolve conflicts
# (manually edit files)
# 5. Complete merge
git add .
git commit -m "Resolve merge conflicts"
git push
Draft PR Workflow
# 1. Create draft PR
gh pr create --draft --title "WIP: Feature X"
# 2. Continue working
git commit -m "Progress on feature"
git push
# 3. Mark as ready when done
gh pr ready 123
# 4. Request reviews
gh pr edit 123 --add-reviewer team1
Auto-merge Setup
# Enable auto-merge when checks pass
gh pr merge 123 --auto --squash
# Cancel auto-merge
gh pr merge 123 --auto=false
Error Handling
PR Already Exists
# Check for existing PR from branch
gh pr list --head feature-branch --repo owner/repo-name
Merge Conflicts
# Check if PR is mergeable
gh pr view 123 --json mergeable --jq '.mergeable'
# If not mergeable, update branch
gh pr checkout 123
git merge origin/main
# Resolve conflicts, commit, push
Failed Checks
# View failed checks
gh pr checks 123 --repo owner/repo-name
# View workflow runs
gh run list --branch feature-branch
# Rerun failed checks
gh run rerun <run-id>
Insufficient Permissions
# Check permissions
gh api repos/owner/repo-name --jq '.permissions'
# Ensure you're authenticated
gh auth status
Best Practices
- Write clear PR descriptions: Explain what, why, and how
- Reference issues: Use "Fixes #123" to auto-close issues
- Keep PRs focused: One feature/fix per PR
- Request specific reviewers: Tag relevant domain experts
- Respond to feedback: Address all review comments
- Keep branch updated: Regularly merge/rebase with base branch
- Use draft PRs: For work-in-progress changes
- Clean up branches: Delete branches after merging
- Use templates: Create PR templates for consistency
- Squash commits: Use squash merge for cleaner history
PR States and Transitions
[Draft] -> [Ready for Review] # gh pr ready
[Open] -> [Merged] # gh pr merge
[Open] -> [Closed] # gh pr close
[Closed] -> [Open] # gh pr reopen
[Open] -> [Auto-merge Enabled] # gh pr merge --auto
Integration with Other Skills
- Use
issue-managementto link PRs to issues - Use
code-reviewto add reviews and comments - Use
commit-operationsto view commit history - Use
repository-managementto manage branches