How do I install the Branch Name skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add makeplane/branch-name in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

What does the Branch Name skill do?

Use when starting a new branch or renaming an existing one — produces a branch name in the format ` / - ` that's compatible with the create-pr skill's work item ID extraction. It is listed under Coding & Dev Tools on SkillMD.

Is Branch Name safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Branch Name?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Branch Name free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Branch Name?

makeplane (@makeplane) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Branch Name by makeplane — Agent Skill

Name: Branch Name
Author: makeplane

File contents

Branch Naming

Create branch names that follow the convention <type>/<work-item-id>-<short-description>, where the work item ID can be cleanly extracted later (e.g., by the create-pr skill).

Format

<type>/<work-item-id>-<short-description>

All lowercase, hyphen-separated
Work item ID stays in its original form but lowercased (e.g., SILO-1146 → silo-1146)
Short description is 2–5 words in kebab-case, focused on the what, not the how

Workflow

Determine the type based on the work being done:
- feat — new functionality
- fix — bug fix
- chore — tooling, deps, config, non-user-facing housekeeping
- refactor — restructuring without behavior change
- docs — documentation only
- perf — performance improvement
Determine the work item ID:
- If the user gives one, use it
- If they reference a Plane work item (e.g., a URL or title), extract the ID
- If none exists, ask the user — don't invent one
Write the short description:
- 2–5 words in kebab-case
- Describe the outcome, not the implementation (add-app-tile-visibility, not update-tile-component)
- Skip filler words (the, a, for)
Assemble and create the branch:

   git checkout -b <type>/<work-item-id-lowercased>-<short-description>

Return the branch name to the user.

Examples

fix/silo-1146-relative-config-urls
feat/web-1234-app-tile-visibility
chore/web-2201-bump-eslint
refactor/silo-980-extract-auth-middleware
docs/web-1500-pr-template-update
perf/silo-1310-cache-workspace-lookup

Common Mistakes

Putting the work item ID at the end instead of after the type (breaks extraction)
Using underscores or camelCase instead of hyphens
Uppercasing the work item ID inside the branch name (it should be lowercase here, uppercased only when used as the PR title prefix)
Writing a long, narrative description — keep it scannable
Omitting the work item ID when one exists in Plane
Using a type that won't match the eventual PR type (pick the type you'd use in the PR title)

---name: branch-namedescription: Use when starting a new branch or renaming an existing one — produces a branch name in the format `<type>/<work-item-id>-<short-description>` that's compatible with the create-pr skill's work item ID extraction.---# Branch NamingCreate branch names that follow the convention `<type>/<work-item-id>-<short-description>`, where the work item ID can be cleanly extracted later (e.g., by the create-pr skill).## Format```<type>/<work-item-id>-<short-description>```- All lowercase, hyphen-separated- Work item ID stays in its original form but lowercased (e.g., `SILO-1146` → `silo-1146`)- Short description is 2–5 words in kebab-case, focused on the _what_, not the _how_## Workflow1. **Determine the type** based on the work being done: - `feat` — new functionality - `fix` — bug fix - `chore` — tooling, deps, config, non-user-facing housekeeping - `refactor` — restructuring without behavior change - `docs` — documentation only - `perf` — performance improvement2. **Determine the work item ID**: - If the user gives one, use it - If they reference a Plane work item (e.g., a URL or title), extract the ID - If none exists, ask the user — don't invent one3. **Write the short description**: - 2–5 words in kebab-case - Describe the outcome, not the implementation (`add-app-tile-visibility`, not `update-tile-component`) - Skip filler words (`the`, `a`, `for`)4. **Assemble and create the branch**:``` git checkout -b <type>/<work-item-id-lowercased>-<short-description>```5. **Return the branch name** to the user.## Examples```fix/silo-1146-relative-config-urlsfeat/web-1234-app-tile-visibilitychore/web-2201-bump-eslintrefactor/silo-980-extract-auth-middlewaredocs/web-1500-pr-template-updateperf/silo-1310-cache-workspace-lookup```## Common Mistakes- Putting the work item ID at the end instead of after the type (breaks extraction)- Using underscores or camelCase instead of hyphens- Uppercasing the work item ID inside the branch name (it should be lowercase here, uppercased only when used as the PR title prefix)- Writing a long, narrative description — keep it scannable- Omitting the work item ID when one exists in Plane- Using a type that won't match the eventual PR type (pick the type you'd use in the PR title)

Frequently asked questions

Branch Name