Create GitHub Pull Request

Create pull requests on GitHub using the gh CLI.

Prerequisites

• The gh CLI must be authenticated (gh auth status)
• You must have commits on a branch that's pushed to the remote
• Every PR must close an existing issue, except automated dependency updates as described in CONTRIBUTING.md. Follow Branch Names in CONTRIBUTING.md for contributor branch names.

Before Creating a PR

Verify Contributor Access and Issue Acceptance

Before pushing or creating a PR (including a draft), verify the author's access to the target repository, not their fork. For the authenticated gh user:

gh repo view OWNER/REPO --json nameWithOwner,viewerPermission
gh issue view ISSUE_NUMBER --repo OWNER/REPO --json number,url,labels

Authors with verified WRITE, MAINTAIN, or ADMIN access may proceed without state:accepted; keep the issue link and note the missing label. Everyone else must link at least one target-repository issue and have state:accepted on each. Otherwise, preserve local work and report which issue needs acceptance. A direct request, roadmap placement, other labels, or vouch status does not bypass this gate.

When acting for another author, verify their permissions. Resolve failed lookups before proceeding; retry sandbox network failures outside the sandbox before reporting an authentication problem. Vouch requirements still apply separately.

Check Config Documentation

If the branch changes gateway TOML parsing, [openshell.gateway] fields, [openshell.drivers.<name>] fields, driver config defaults, or Helm rendering of gateway.toml, verify that docs/how-it-works/gateways/configuration.mdx is updated in the same branch. If the change affects user-facing compute-driver setup, also update docs/how-it-works/sandboxes/runtimes.mdx or the relevant deployment docs.

Check Agent Infrastructure

Use the sync-agent-infra skill's maintenance map to identify related skill updates when the branch changes behavior, commands, or development workflows. Run its full consistency check when the branch adds, removes, or renames skills or crates; changes workflow relationships or skill coverage; modifies issue or PR templates; or changes agent cross-references. Resolve any drift before creating the PR.

Verify the Affected Areas

Use the verification guidance in CONTRIBUTING.md to select checks for the changed files and behavior. Guidance, skills, and template changes need applicable Markdown, YAML, link, and consistency checks. Run Rust or SDK suites when those components or their dependencies can be affected. Shared APIs, schemas, dependencies, and build changes may require broader checks even when component source files are unchanged.

mise run ci and mise run pre-commit are broad convenience tasks, not blanket PR prerequisites. Broaden validation only for a concrete remaining risk or failed check, and report what actually ran.

Verify Branch State

Before creating a PR, verify:

1. You're not on main - Never create PRs directly from main:

   # Should NOT be "main"
   git branch --show-current
   

2. Branch follows naming convention - Follow Branch Names in CONTRIBUTING.md, including the exceptions for generated branches and private security work.

   # Example: feat/1234-add-pagination/octocat
   git branch --show-current
   

Push Your Branch

Ensure your branch is pushed to the remote:

git push -u origin HEAD

Creating a PR

Basic PR creation (opens editor for description):

gh pr create

With title and body:

gh pr create --title "PR title" --body "PR description"

PR Title Format

PR titles must follow the conventional commit format:

<type>(<scope>): <description>

Types:

• feat - New feature
• fix - Bug fix
• docs - Documentation only
• refactor - Code change that neither fixes a bug nor adds a feature
• test - Adding or updating tests
• chore - Maintenance tasks (CI, build, dependencies)
• perf - Performance improvement

Scope is typically the component name (e.g., evaluator, cli, sdk, jobs).

Examples:

• feat(evaluator): add support for custom rubrics
• fix(jobs): handle timeout errors gracefully
• docs(sdk): update authentication examples
• refactor(models): simplify deployment logic
• chore(ci): update Python version in pipeline

Link to an Issue

Every PR except an automated dependency update must close its own issue. Verify that the issue exists, remains open, and covers the PR scope. Automated dependency updates follow the exception in CONTRIBUTING.md. Use Closes #<issue-number> in the body so merge closes it:

gh pr create \
  --title "fix(cli): validate empty requests" \
  --body "## Summary

Validate empty request bodies.

## Related Issue

Closes #123

## Changes

- Return 400 instead of 500"

If the work needs multiple PRs, create a separate closable issue for each PR. A higher-level tracking issue may link the component issues, but no PR should close that tracking issue until all its work is complete. Follow SECURITY.md for vulnerability disclosure. First-time external contributors must be vouched before their PRs are accepted; the vouch check may close unvouched PRs. Check the current vouch process before opening a PR for an external contributor.

Create as Draft

For work-in-progress that's not ready for review:

gh pr create --draft --title "WIP: New feature"

Target a Different Branch

Default target is main. To target a different branch:

gh pr create --base "release-1.0"

PR Description Format

PR descriptions must follow the project's PR template structure:

## Summary
<!-- 1-3 sentences: what this PR does and why -->

## Related Issue
<!-- Closes #NNN; this issue covers the scope of this PR -->

## Changes
<!-- Bullet list of key changes -->

## Testing
<!-- What testing was done? -->
- [ ] Checks appropriate to the affected code and behavior pass
- [ ] Unit tests added/updated (if applicable)
- [ ] E2E tests added/updated (if applicable)

## Checklist
- [ ] Follows Conventional Commits
- [ ] Commits are signed off (DCO)

Populate the testing checklist based on what was actually run. Check boxes for steps that were completed.

Example PR (Complete)

gh pr create \
  --title "feat(cli): add pagination to sandbox list" \
  --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
## Summary

Add `--page-size` and `--page-token` flags to `openshell sandbox list` for continuation-token pagination.

## Related Issue

Closes #456

## Changes

- Added `page_size` and `page_token` fields to the sandbox list API call
- Default page size is 100, max is 1,000
- Structured responses include `next_page_token`

## Testing

- [x] Relevant CLI format, lint, and unit checks pass
- [x] Unit tests added/updated
- [ ] E2E tests added/updated (if applicable)

## Checklist

- [x] Follows Conventional Commits
- [x] Commits are signed off (DCO)
EOF
)"

Useful Options

Option	Description
--title, -t	PR title (use conventional commit format)
--body, -b	PR description
--reviewer, -r	Request review from user
--draft	Create as draft (WIP)
--label, -l	Add label (can use multiple times)
--base, -B	Target branch (default: main)
--head, -H	Source branch (default: current)
--web	Open in browser after creation

After Creating

The command outputs the PR URL and number.

Rerun PR Issue Acceptance after linked issue labels change; it does not refresh automatically on issue-label events.

Display the URL using markdown link syntax so it's easily clickable:

Created PR [#123](https://github.com/OWNER/REPO/pull/123)

Monitor Workflow Run (Optional)

If the user asks to wait for a green CI before posting the RFR, use this snippet to monitor the workflow run:

# Watch the latest workflow run for the current branch
gh run watch

Or poll manually:

RUN_ID=$(gh run list --branch "$(git branch --show-current)" --limit 1 --json databaseId --jq '.[0].databaseId')
gh run watch "$RUN_ID"