GitHub GH CLI

Use this skill when

Use this skill when the task is about GitHub data and gh is the fastest path:

• pull request status or checks;
• recent workflow runs or failed jobs;
• issue or PR lists;
• structured JSON output for scripting; or
• GitHub API queries not covered by simpler commands.

Working rules

• Prefer gh over browser navigation when command-line access is enough.
• Prefer --json and --jq when you need structured results.
• When outside the target repository, pass --repo owner/repo explicitly.
• If auth is missing, ask the user to handle gh auth login; do not attempt interactive credential setup yourself.
• Before updating or merging an existing PR, resolve its actual head repository, branch and SHA (headRepository, headRefName, headRefOid, or REST .head). A local upstream or an identically named branch in the base repository does not identify the PR source. Verify that exact repository's permissions and expected head, push normally there, and read back the PR head equal to the intended local commit before claiming an update or merging.

Authorized PR after an upstream push denial

• An upstream 403 or permissions.push=false is a denial of direct upstream writes, not evidence that PR creation is unavailable. For an already authorized PR, inspect the current account and its existing fork; verify its parent is the intended upstream, permissions.push=true, the exact source branch/head and the original publication scope.
• Reuse that existing fork with a normal push and an explicit upstream/base/owner-qualified head. Look up an existing PR first and read back uncertain effects before retrying. Preserve origin; do not force push, switch accounts, request broader access or create a new fork merely to recover this case. Report the specific gap if no authorized route exists.

Contributor scope and permission advice

• Inventory a stated time window before recommending a contributor's scope; disclose date bounds and result caps. Sample across modules and work types, including CI/mainline recovery, build tooling, architecture upkeep and regression follow-through. A few recent feature PRs do not establish the person's full role.
• Inspect substantive PR bodies, selected diffs and follow-up records. Separate public author/test claims from independently checked behavior; PR volume alone proves neither quality nor review qualification.
• Check both formal cross-author reviews and ordinary PR comments. A reviewed-by: search misses comment-only validation and responsibility for regressions; missing search results are not proof of no review work.
• Distinguish repository management permissions, maintainer responsibility, CODEOWNERS eligibility and bypass authority. Apply each appointment's actual rules without treating a subsystem checklist as the whole assessment of repository-wide maintenance.

Common commands

Pull requests

gh pr view 123 --repo owner/repo
gh pr checks 123 --repo owner/repo
gh pr list --repo owner/repo --limit 20

Actions / CI

gh run list --repo owner/repo --limit 10
gh run view <run-id> --repo owner/repo
gh run view <run-id> --repo owner/repo --log-failed

Issues

gh issue list --repo owner/repo --limit 20
gh issue list --repo owner/repo --json number,title,state --jq '.[]'

API

gh api repos/owner/repo/pulls/123
gh api repos/owner/repo/issues --jq '.[].title'