Github

GitHub CLI

Use when a task names gh, GitHub CLI, a GitHub remote surface, or stacked pull requests. Route to the smallest owning reference.

Preflight live operations

1. Run gh --version before relying on installed capabilities.
2. Establish the target with explicit [HOST/]OWNER/REPO for --repo, or verify the local repository and remote. NEVER guess from the current directory.
3. Check gh auth status for the selected host. Use GH_HOST or GH_REPO only when values are known, safe, and intentional. Use gh help <command> for missing flags or version differences.
4. Separate read stdout from stderr. Prefer --json <fields>, then --jq or --template; discover fields with the command's bare --json form.

Safety gates

• Treat --web, browse, browser/editor/pager launches, prompts, and TUI commands as interactive side effects. Prefer noninteractive flags and state user actions.
• Require explicit user authorization immediately before external writes to issues, pull requests, projects, repositories, secrets, variables, releases, API mutations, pushes, merges, extension installs, or account changes.
• NEVER print, persist, or echo tokens, credentials, key material, or auth headers.
• After every authorized write, re-read the resulting resource and report failures.
• Route gh api through references/api.md. Parameters can change its default GET to POST; make method and mutation intent explicit.
• Treat documented exit codes and command-specific failures as evidence. After failure, do not retry destructively, force, prune, merge, or fall back silently.

Route by intent; required follow-up

Read the listed reference whenever its trigger applies. Use references/core.md before any command family when router rules are insufficient.

• Shared invocation, hosts, auth, aliases, config, completion, output, prompts, exits → references/core.md.
• Repository discovery, cloning, browsing, search, gists, organizations, or Codespaces → references/repositories.md; keep local Git/worktree actions local.
• Issues, pull requests, discussions, projects, reviews, or labels → references/collaboration.md; ordinary contribution policy → gh-contrib.
• Actions, workflows, caches, secrets, or variables → references/automation.md; keep account and repository writes gated.
• Releases, artifact attestations, rulesets, keys, or licenses → references/release-security.md; preserve key and permission boundaries.
• REST, GraphQL, pagination, previews, or custom endpoints; any gh api surface → references/api.md; use gh api only with explicit target and method.
• Extensions, agent tasks, skills, Copilot, or preview-only tooling → references/agent-platform.md; check installed capability before invoking.
• Planning a dependent-PR chain or deciding whether work belongs in one stack → references/stack-design.md for invariants, layer design, and ownership.
• Publishing a branch, creating a PR, or linking a PR to a stack → references/stacked-pr-workflow.md for the branch/PR-to-stack handoff.
• Executing or planning gh stack, or stack-aware integration → references/stack-commands.md for commands, capability gates, merge/API semantics, and CI state.
• Stack failure, partial landing, divergence, lock, interop, or recovery → references/stack-troubleshooting.md; preserve state and NEVER auto-repair.

Stacked PR boundary

For explicit stack intent, read all three stack references (references/stack-design.md, references/stacked-pr-workflow.md, and references/stack-commands.md) before branch or PR mutation. If the focused github/gh-stack agent skill is installed and active, defer to it; otherwise use local references. Check gh extension list and gh skill list; NEVER auto-install either. Missing capability, 404, or stack exit 9 means availability/rollout failure, not permission to silently use ordinary PR commands.

Ownership: git-worktrees owns worktree lifecycle; commit owns staging and history; gh-contrib owns contribution policy and ordinary PR review; hunk owns Hunk sessions; go/do own delegation. This skill owns GitHub CLI routing and stack-specific remote state only.