Gh Cli
Operate GitHub repos, issues, PRs, Actions, releases, and org tasks from the terminal when the web UI is too slow.
Overview
Gh-cli is an agent skill most often used in Build (also Ship, Launch) that provides a comprehensive GitHub CLI reference for repos, issues, PRs, Actions, and releases from the command line.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill gh-cliWhat is this skill?
- Comprehensive gh reference: repos, issues, pull requests, Actions, projects, releases, gists, codespaces, orgs, and exte
- Install paths for macOS, Linux, and Windows plus gh --version verification
- Authentication flows: interactive login, hostname, token login, auth status, switch, and logout
- Git credential helper setup via gh auth setup-git and token inspection
- Version callout documented as 2.85.0 (current as of January 2026) for CLI feature parity expectations
- Documents GitHub CLI version 2.85.0 (current as of January 2026)
Adoption & trust: 21.5k installs on skills.sh; 34.6k GitHub stars; 2/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You know what you want to do on GitHub but waste time guessing gh subcommands, auth flags, or install steps across machines.
Who is it for?
Solo developers automating GitHub from scripts, managing PRs/issues during active build sprints, or standardizing CLI auth on a new laptop.
Skip if: Pure local git workflows with no GitHub remote, or teams that mandate only the web UI with no CLI automation.
When should I use this skill?
Working with GitHub from the command line—repos, issues, pull requests, Actions, projects, releases, auth, or extensions.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You run correct gh commands for auth, git integration, and repo operations without leaving the terminal or breaking CI scripts.
- Correct gh command sequences for the requested GitHub operation
- Auth and git credential helper setup steps
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Build/pm is the primary shelf because daily repo management, branching, and issue tracking happen while you are actively developing the product. pm subphase covers CLI workflows for issues, projects, and collaboration logistics that keep implementation unblocked.
Where it fits
File and list issues from the terminal while you are heads-down on a feature branch.
Open, comment on, or check merge status of a PR with gh pr commands before release.
Create a GitHub release and attach assets using gh release without using the web UI.
Triage customer-reported bugs into labeled issues via gh issue create from support notes.
How it compares
CLI command reference for GitHub operations—not a pull-request review methodology skill.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is gh-cli for?
Indie builders and small teams who use GitHub daily and want the coding agent to emit correct gh syntax for repos, PRs, Actions, and releases.
When should I use gh-cli?
During Build/pm for issues and branches; Ship/review when creating or merging PRs; Launch/distribution when cutting releases and managing publication assets on GitHub.
Is gh-cli safe to install?
The skill describes auth and tokens; review the Security Audits panel on this page and never commit tokens—use gh auth login or scoped secrets in CI.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Gh Cli
# GitHub CLI (gh) Comprehensive reference for GitHub CLI (gh) - work seamlessly with GitHub from the command line. **Version:** 2.85.0 (current as of January 2026) ## Prerequisites ### Installation ```bash # macOS brew install gh # Linux curl -fsSL https://cli.github.com/packages/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg | sudo dd of=/usr/share/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/githubcli-archive-keyring.gpg] https://cli.github.com/packages stable main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/github-cli.list > /dev/null sudo apt update sudo apt install gh # Windows winget install --id GitHub.cli # Verify installation gh --version ``` ### Authentication ```bash # Interactive login (default: github.com) gh auth login # Login with specific hostname gh auth login --hostname enterprise.internal # Login with token gh auth login --with-token < mytoken.txt # Check authentication status gh auth status # Switch accounts gh auth switch --hostname github.com --user username # Logout gh auth logout --hostname github.com --user username ``` ### Setup Git Integration ```bash # Configure git to use gh as credential helper gh auth setup-git # View active token gh auth token # Refresh authentication scopes gh auth refresh --scopes write:org,read:public_key ``` ## CLI Structure ``` gh # Root command ├── auth # Authentication │ ├── login │ ├── logout │ ├── refresh │ ├── setup-git │ ├── status │ ├── switch │ └── token ├── browse # Open in browser ├── codespace # GitHub Codespaces │ ├── code │ ├── cp │ ├── create │ ├── delete │ ├── edit │ ├── jupyter │ ├── list │ ├── logs │ ├── ports │ ├── rebuild │ ├── ssh │ ├── stop │ └── view ├── gist # Gists │ ├── clone │ ├── create │ ├── delete │ ├── edit │ ├── list │ ├── rename │ └── view ├── issue # Issues │ ├── create │ ├── list │ ├── status │ ├── close │ ├── comment │ ├── delete │ ├── develop │ ├── edit │ ├── lock │ ├── pin │ ├── reopen │ ├── transfer │ ├── unlock │ └── view ├── org # Organizations │ └── list ├── pr # Pull Requests │ ├── create │ ├── list │ ├── status │ ├── checkout │ ├── checks │ ├── close │ ├── comment │ ├── diff │ ├── edit │ ├── lock │ ├── merge │ ├── ready │ ├── reopen │ ├── revert │ ├── review │ ├── unlock │ ├── update-branch │ └── view ├── project # Projects │ ├── close │ ├── copy │ ├── create │ ├── delete │ ├── edit │ ├── field-create │ ├── field-delete │ ├── field-list │ ├── item-add │ ├── item-archive │ ├── item-create │ ├── item-delete │ ├── item-edit │ ├── item-list │ ├── link │ ├── list │ ├── mark-template │ ├── unlink │ └── view ├── release # Releases │ ├── create │ ├── list │ ├── delete │ ├── delete-asset │ ├── download │ ├── edit │ ├── upload │ ├── verify │ ├── verify-asset │ └── view ├── repo # Repositories │ ├── create │ ├── list │ ├── archive │ ├── autolink │ ├── clone │ ├── delete │ ├── deploy-key │ ├── edit │ ├── fork │ ├── gitignore │ ├── license │ ├── rename │ ├── set-default │ ├── sync │ ├── unarchive │ └── view ├── cache # Actions caches │ ├── delete │ └── list ├── run # Workflow runs │ ├── cancel │ ├── delete │ ├── download │ ├── list │ ├── rerun │ ├── view │ └── watch ├── workflow # Workflows │ ├── disable │ ├── enable │ ├── list │ ├── run │ └── view ├── agent-t