---

name: github-pr-manager description: Create, view, and merge GitHub pull requests with validation. Use when creating PRs from branches, checking PR status, or merging approved PRs with cleanup.

GitHub PR Manager

Instructions

When to Invoke This Skill

• Creating a pull request after implementing changes
• Checking status of an existing PR (mergeable, checks, reviews)
• Merging an approved PR
• Validating PR state before operations

Capabilities

1. Create Pull Request

   • Generate PR from current branch
   • Create descriptive title and body
   • Link to related issues
   • Add appropriate labels

2. View PR Status

   • Check if PR is open/closed/merged
   • Verify mergeable state
   • Review CI check status
   • Check review approvals

3. Merge Pull Request

   • Squash merge with single commit
   • Auto-delete remote branch
   • Validate before merging

Standard Workflows

Creating a PR

1. Verify Current Branch

   git branch --show-current
   

   Ensure you're on a feature branch, not main/master

2. Push Branch (if not already pushed)

   git push -u origin HEAD
   

3. Create PR

   gh pr create --title "<type>: <description>" --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
   ## Summary
   Resolves #<issue_number>
   
   <Brief description of changes>
   
   ## Changes Made
   - <List key changes>
   
   ## Testing
   - <How to test these changes>
   
   🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)
   EOF
   )"
   

Checking PR Status

1. Fetch PR Information

   gh pr view <pr_number> --json state,mergeable,statusCheckRollup,reviewDecision
   

2. Interpret Results

   • state: "OPEN", "CLOSED", "MERGED"
   • mergeable: "MERGEABLE", "CONFLICTING", "UNKNOWN"
   • reviewDecision: "APPROVED", "CHANGES_REQUESTED", "REVIEW_REQUIRED"

Merging a PR

1. Validate PR State

   gh pr view <pr_number> --json headRefName,state,mergeable
   

   • Verify state is "OPEN"
   • Verify mergeable is "MERGEABLE"
   • Extract branch name for cleanup

2. Perform Squash Merge

   gh pr merge <pr_number> --squash --delete-branch
   

   This will:

   • Squash all commits into one
   • Merge to main/master
   • Delete remote branch
   • Delete local tracking branch (if it exists)

3. Update Local Repository

   git checkout main
   git pull origin main
   

4. Clean Up Local Branch (if still exists)

   # Check if branch still exists
   git branch --list <branch-name>
   
   # Delete only if exists
   if git branch --list <branch-name> | grep -q <branch-name>; then
     git branch -d <branch-name>
   fi
   

   Note: The --delete-branch flag usually handles this, but verify to ensure cleanup

Error Handling

Authentication Issues:

• Run: gh auth status
• If not authenticated: gh auth login

PR Not Mergeable:

• Check for conflicts: Inform user to resolve merge conflicts
• Check for failing CI: Wait for checks to pass
• Check for required reviews: Request reviews from team

Branch Deletion Fails:

• Branch may be protected
• User may have the branch checked out
• Branch may not exist locally (already deleted or never checked out)
• Always check branch existence before deletion
• Ignore "branch not found" errors - treat as already cleaned up

PR Title and Body Standards

Title Format:

<type>: <brief description>

Types: feat, fix, chore, docs, refactor, test, perf

Body Format:

## Summary
Resolves #<issue>

<1-2 sentence description>

## Changes Made
- <Bullet list of key changes>

## Testing
- <How changes were tested>
- <Manual test steps if needed>

## Screenshots (if UI changes)
<Optional screenshots>

🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code)

Examples

Example 1: Create PR from feature branch

User: "Create a PR for this feature"
Action:
1. Verify on feature branch
2. Push if needed
3. Create PR with structured body linking to issue
Output: PR URL and number

Example 2: Check PR status before merging

User: "Is PR #123 ready to merge?"
Action:
1. Fetch PR status
2. Check mergeable state, CI status, reviews
Output: "PR #123 is ready to merge" or list blockers

Example 3: Merge approved PR

User: "Merge PR #123"
Action:
1. Validate PR state and extract branch name
2. Squash merge with branch deletion
3. Switch to main and pull
4. Verify local branch cleanup (check existence first)
Output: "PR #123 merged successfully, branch cleaned up"