How to Create a Pull Request Using GitHub CLI

This guide explains how to create pull requests using GitHub CLI in our project.

Prerequisites

1. Install GitHub CLI if you haven't already:

   # macOS
   brew install gh
   
   # Windows
   winget install --id GitHub.cli
   
   # Linux
   # Follow instructions at https://github.com/cli/cli/blob/trunk/docs/install_linux.md
   

2. Authenticate with GitHub:

   gh auth login
   

Creating a New Pull Request

1. First, prepare your PR description following the template in .github/pull_request_template.md

2. Use the gh pr create command to create a new pull request:

   # Basic command structure
   gh pr create --title "✨(scope): Your descriptive title" --body "Your PR description" --base main --draft
   

   For more complex PR descriptions with proper formatting, use the --body-file option with the exact PR template structure:

   # Create PR with proper template structure
   gh pr create --title "✨(scope): Your descriptive title" --body-file <(echo -e "## Issue\n\n- resolve:\n\n## Why is this change needed?\nYour description here.\n\n## What would you like reviewers to focus on?\n- Point 1\n- Point 2\n\n## Testing Verification\nHow you tested these changes.\n\n## What was done\npr_agent:summary\n\n## Detailed Changes\npr_agent:walkthrough\n\n## Additional Notes\nAny additional notes.") --base main --draft
   

Best Practices

1. PR Title Format: Use conventional commit format with emojis

   • Always include an appropriate emoji at the beginning of the title
   • Use the actual emoji character (not the code representation like :sparkles:)
   • Examples:
     • ✨(supabase): Add staging remote configuration
     • 🐛(auth): Fix login redirect issue
     • 📝(readme): Update installation instructions

2. Description Template: Always use our PR template structure from .github/pull_request_template.md:

   • Issue reference
   • Why the change is needed
   • Review focus points
   • Testing verification
   • PR-Agent sections (keep pr_agent:summary and pr_agent:walkthrough tags intact)
   • Additional notes

3. Template Accuracy: Ensure your PR description precisely follows the template structure:

   • Don't modify or rename the PR-Agent sections (pr_agent:summary and pr_agent:walkthrough)
   • Keep all section headers exactly as they appear in the template
   • Don't add custom sections that aren't in the template

4. Draft PRs: Start as draft when the work is in progress

   • Use --draft flag in the command
   • Convert to ready for review when complete using gh pr ready

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Incorrect Section Headers: Always use the exact section headers from the template
2. Modifying PR-Agent Sections: Don't remove or modify the pr_agent:summary and pr_agent:walkthrough placeholders
3. Adding Custom Sections: Stick to the sections defined in the template
4. Using Outdated Templates: Always refer to the current .github/pull_request_template.md file

Missing Sections

Always include all template sections, even if some are marked as "N/A" or "None"

Additional GitHub CLI PR Commands

Here are some additional useful GitHub CLI commands for managing PRs:

# List your open pull requests
gh pr list --author "@me"

# Check PR status
gh pr status

# View a specific PR
gh pr view <PR-NUMBER>

# Check out a PR branch locally
gh pr checkout <PR-NUMBER>

# Convert a draft PR to ready for review
gh pr ready <PR-NUMBER>

# Add reviewers to a PR
gh pr edit <PR-NUMBER> --add-reviewer username1,username2

# Merge a PR
gh pr merge <PR-NUMBER> --squash

Using Templates for PR Creation

To simplify PR creation with consistent descriptions, you can create a template file:

1. Create a file named pr-template.md with your PR template
2. Use it when creating PRs:

gh pr create --title "feat(scope): Your title" --body-file pr-template.md --base main --draft

Related Documentation

• PR Template
• Conventional Commits
• GitHub CLI documentation