GitHub Development Skill

A Claude Code skill for mastering GitHub workflows — covering repository management, pull request best practices, GitHub Actions, issue tracking, code review, branch protection, and team collaboration patterns.

When to Use This Skill

Choose this skill when:

• Setting up repository configurations (branch protection, CODEOWNERS, templates)
• Managing pull requests, issues, and project boards
• Configuring GitHub Actions for CI/CD
• Implementing code review workflows and standards
• Using the GitHub CLI (gh) for automation
• Managing GitHub releases and changelogs

Consider alternatives when:

• You need GitLab or Bitbucket workflows (use platform-specific tools)
• You need git operations only (use a git skill)
• You need deployment automation (use a deployment skill)

Quick Start

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# Install GitHub CLI
brew install gh

# Authenticate
gh auth login

# Common operations
gh repo view                    # View repo details
gh pr create --fill             # Create PR with auto-filled title/body
gh issue create --title "Bug"   # Create an issue
gh run list                     # List CI runs

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# .github/CODEOWNERS
# Require review from specific teams for specific paths
*.ts       @frontend-team
/api/      @backend-team
/infra/    @devops-team

Core Concepts

Repository Setup

Configuration	Purpose	File/Setting
Branch protection	Prevent direct pushes to main	Settings → Branches
CODEOWNERS	Auto-assign reviewers by path	.github/CODEOWNERS
PR template	Standardize PR descriptions	.github/pull_request_template.md
Issue templates	Structured bug/feature reports	.github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/
Actions	CI/CD automation	.github/workflows/
Dependabot	Automated dependency updates	.github/dependabot.yml

PR Workflow with gh CLI

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# Create a feature branch and PR
git checkout -b feature/user-auth
# ... make changes ...
git add -A && git commit -m "feat: add user authentication"
git push -u origin feature/user-auth
gh pr create --title "Add user authentication" --body "Implements OAuth2 login flow"

# Review a PR
gh pr diff 42                   # View diff
gh pr review 42 --approve       # Approve
gh pr review 42 --request-changes --body "Fix the SQL injection in login.ts"

# Merge and cleanup
gh pr merge 42 --squash --delete-branch

Dependabot Configuration

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# .github/dependabot.yml
version: 2
updates:
  - package-ecosystem: "npm"
    directory: "/"
    schedule:
      interval: "weekly"
    open-pull-requests-limit: 10
    reviewers:
      - "team-leads"
    labels:
      - "dependencies"

Configuration

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
default_branch	string	"main"	Primary branch name
require_reviews	number	1	Required PR approvals before merge
require_ci	boolean	true	Require CI passing before merge
auto_delete_branches	boolean	true	Delete branch after PR merge
squash_merge	boolean	true	Default to squash merge for PRs
dependabot_schedule	string	"weekly"	Dependency update frequency
codeowners_enforce	boolean	true	Require CODEOWNERS review

Best Practices

1. Enable branch protection on main from day one — require PR reviews, CI passing, and up-to-date branches before merging; this prevents accidental pushes and broken builds on the primary branch.

2. Use PR templates to standardize descriptions — a template with sections for "Changes," "Testing," and "Screenshots" ensures reviewers have the context they need without asking.

3. Configure CODEOWNERS for automatic review routing — assign team-specific paths so the right reviewers are automatically requested, reducing review bottlenecks and missed reviews.

4. Use squash merge for cleaner history — squash merging combines all PR commits into a single commit on main, keeping the history readable while preserving detailed commit history in the PR.

5. Set up Dependabot with conservative limits — configure weekly updates with open-pull-requests-limit: 10 to avoid overwhelming the team; batch minor/patch updates and handle major upgrades individually.

Common Issues

PR reviews take too long and block progress — Set a team SLA (e.g., 24-hour review turnaround). Use CODEOWNERS to automatically assign the right reviewers and enable auto-merge for PRs that pass all checks.

Branch protection is too strict for urgent hotfixes — Create a documented bypass process: admin override with mandatory post-merge review. Don't weaken protection for all PRs to accommodate rare emergencies.

Dependabot creates too many PRs — Group related updates using Dependabot's groups configuration to create fewer, larger PRs. Set open-pull-requests-limit and schedule updates for quiet periods.