GitHub Automation

VerifiedCaution

Skill for automating GitHub operations using the gh CLI: repositories, issues, pull requests, workflows, and more.

Sby Skills Guide Bot
DevOpsBeginner
7/29/2026
Claude CodeCursorWindsurfCopilotCodex
#github#gh-cli#pull-requests#issues#automation

Recommended for

Automated summary

Automates GitHub operations (repos, issues, pull requests, releases, Actions, gists, search) by driving the `gh` CLI.

Strengths

  • Covers the full GitHub lifecycle: repos, issues, PRs, releases, workflows and gists
  • Provides concrete, copy-pasteable `gh` commands for each operation type
  • Includes an authentication check with `gh auth status` before running anything
  • Requires confirmation for destructive actions (merge, close, delete) and reports results with item numbers and direct URLs

Limitations

  • Assumes the `gh` CLI is installed and already authenticated on the machine
  • Does not cover raw REST/GraphQL API calls or fine-grained permission handling
  • No detailed guidance for merge conflicts or failed review workflows
When to use it

Use it whenever a task requires creating, reading or changing something on GitHub from the terminal.

When not to use it

Avoid it if the environment lacks the `gh` CLI or you need low-level API calls it does not expose.

Security analysis

Caution
Quality score78/100

The skill is a straightforward wrapper around the official `gh` CLI for legitimate GitHub operations. It uses powerful tools (shell, network, authenticated API access) and can merge PRs or close issues, but it explicitly requires confirmation before destructive actions, contains no obfuscation, no curl|sh piping, and no attempt to read or transmit credentials. That places it in the 'caution' band rather than 'safe' or 'risky'.

Findings
  • •No allowed-tools declared, yet the skill instructs the agent to run shell commands via the `gh` CLI (bash/network access)
  • •Includes state-changing and semi-destructive operations (`gh pr merge`, `gh issue close`, `gh repo create`, `gh release create`) though it explicitly asks for user confirmation first
  • •Relies on pre-existing `gh` authentication; no token handling or credential exfiltration, but grants broad repo scope if the CLI is already authenticated
How this analysis is made

Examples

Create an issue
Create a GitHub issue in acme/api titled 'Bug: login fails on Safari' with reproduction steps and label it as a bug.
Review open PRs
List the open pull requests in acme/web that are waiting on my review, then show me the diff summary and CI status for the oldest one.
Cut a release
Create a v1.4.0 release on acme/cli with auto-generated notes and confirm the tag exists first.

name: github-automation description: GitHub API for repos, issues, and PRs. Use when user mentions "GitHub", "github.com", shares a GitHub link, "create PR", "my issues", "repository", or asks about code hosting.

Capabilities

  • Repositories: Create, clone, fork, view, and manage repos
  • Issues: Create, list, view, close, comment, and label issues
  • Pull Requests: Create, review, merge, list, and comment on PRs
  • Releases: Create releases and manage tags
  • Workflows: View and manage GitHub Actions
  • Gists: Create and manage gists
  • Search: Search repos, issues, PRs, code, and users

Authentication

Verify with:

gh auth status

Instructions

Phase 1: Understand the Request

  1. Clarify what GitHub operation the user needs
  2. Identify the target repository (if not specified, ask)
  3. Confirm any destructive operations before executing

Phase 2: Execute the Operation

Use gh CLI commands. Common patterns:

Repository Operations

gh repo view <owner>/<repo>
gh repo clone <owner>/<repo>
gh repo create <name> --public/--private
gh repo list <owner>

Issue Operations

gh issue list --repo <owner>/<repo>
gh issue create --repo <owner>/<repo> --title "Title" --body "Body"
gh issue view <number> --repo <owner>/<repo>
gh issue close <number> --repo <owner>/<repo>
gh issue comment <number> --repo <owner>/<repo> --body "Comment"

Pull Request Operations

gh pr list --repo <owner>/<repo>
gh pr create --repo <owner>/<repo> --title "Title" --body "Body"
gh pr view <number> --repo <owner>/<repo>
gh pr merge <number> --repo <owner>/<repo>
gh pr review <number> --repo <owner>/<repo> --approve/--comment/--request-changes
gh pr checks <number> --repo <owner>/<repo>

Search Operations

gh search repos <query>
gh search issues <query>
gh search prs <query>
gh search code <query>

GitHub Actions

gh run list --repo <owner>/<repo>
gh run view <run-id> --repo <owner>/<repo>
gh workflow list --repo <owner>/<repo>

Releases

gh release list --repo <owner>/<repo>
gh release create <tag> --repo <owner>/<repo> --title "Title" --notes "Notes"

Guidelines

  • Always specify --repo <owner>/<repo> when not in a cloned repository
  • For destructive operations (delete, close, merge), confirm with user first
  • Use --json flag when you need to parse output programmatically
  • Handle errors gracefully and suggest fixes
  • When creating issues/PRs, use clear titles and descriptive bodies

Phase 3: Report Results

  • Summarize what was done
  • Provide relevant links (PR URLs, issue numbers, etc.)
  • Suggest next steps if applicable

Output Format

When listing items, format clearly:

#123 - Issue title (open/closed) - @author
#456 - PR title (open/merged/closed) - @author

When creating items, always report:

  • The created item's number/ID
  • Direct URL to the item
  • Any relevant status information

Examples

Create an issue:

gh issue create --repo <owner>/<repo> --title "Bug: Login fails" --body "Steps to reproduce..."

List open PRs awaiting review:

gh pr list --repo <owner>/<repo> --state open --search "review:required"

Get PR details as JSON:

gh pr view <number> --repo <owner>/<repo> --json title,state,reviews,checks

From the file to a first result

The download contains exactly the content displayed on this page. This copy may differ from the latest version in the source repository.

View the source and supporting files

This download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.

1. Download the file

Download SKILL.md

From the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.

Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.

mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/github-automation-ms5lrgji/download' --output '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji/SKILL.md'

2. Check prerequisites

Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.

No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.

The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.

3. Load the skill

After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.

Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/github-automation' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji' '.claude/skills/github-automation'

Cursor
test -f '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.cursor/skills' && test ! -e '.cursor/skills/github-automation' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji' '.cursor/skills/github-automation'

Codex
test -f '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.agents/skills' && test ! -e '.agents/skills/github-automation' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji' '.agents/skills/github-automation'

OpenSkills

OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.

Official OpenSkills installation
openskills install './.skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji'

openskills read 'github-automation-ms5lrgji'

Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.

For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.

openskills sync

Manual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.

4. Try a first task

Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:

Read .skill-downloads/github-automation-ms5lrgji/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.

Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.

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