# GitHub CLI Quick Reference

*Repos, issues, PRs, actions, releases, API*

> Source: GitHub CLI Documentation (cli.github.com) · MIT

## Setup

### Installation

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `brew install gh` | macOS via Homebrew |
| `sudo apt install gh` | Debian / Ubuntu |
| `winget install GitHub.cli` | Windows via winget |
| `conda install gh` | Via conda-forge |

### Authentication

```
gh auth login                  # interactive login
gh auth login --with-token < token.txt
gh auth status                 # check auth state
gh auth refresh -s repo,gist   # add scopes
```

### Configuration

```
gh config set editor vim
gh config set pager less
gh config set git_protocol ssh
gh config list
```

## Repos

### Repository Commands

```
gh repo create my-app --public --clone
gh repo clone owner/repo
gh repo fork owner/repo --clone
gh repo view owner/repo --web
```

### Repo Options

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `--public \| --private` | Set repository visibility |
| `--template owner/repo` | Create from template repo |
| `--clone` | Clone after creating |
| `--add-readme` | Initialize with README |
| `gh repo list owner` | List repos for owner |
| `gh repo delete owner/repo` | Delete repository (with confirm) |
| `gh repo rename new-name` | Rename current repo |
| `gh repo archive owner/repo` | Archive a repository |

## Issues

### Managing Issues

```
gh issue create --title "Bug" --body "Details here"
gh issue list --state open --label bug
gh issue view 42
gh issue close 42 --reason completed
```

### Issue Options

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `--assignee @me` | Assign to yourself |
| `--label bug,urgent` | Add labels |
| `--milestone v2.0` | Set milestone |
| `--project "Board"` | Add to project |
| `gh issue edit 42` | Edit issue interactively |
| `gh issue reopen 42` | Reopen a closed issue |
| `gh issue comment 42 -b "msg"` | Add comment to issue |
| `gh issue pin 42` | Pin issue to repo |

## Pull Requests

### Creating & Managing PRs

```
gh pr create --title "feat: add auth" --body "..."
gh pr create --fill          # title/body from commits
gh pr list --state open
gh pr view 123 --web
```

### Review & Merge

```
gh pr checkout 123           # check out PR branch
gh pr diff 123               # view PR diff
gh pr review 123 --approve
gh pr merge 123 --squash --delete-branch
```

### PR Options

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `--draft` | Create as draft PR |
| `--reviewer user1,user2` | Request reviewers |
| `--base main` | Set base branch |
| `--merge \| --squash \| --rebase` | Merge strategy |
| `--auto` | Enable auto-merge when checks pass |
| `--delete-branch` | Delete branch after merge |
| `gh pr ready 123` | Mark draft PR as ready |

## Actions

### Workflow Commands

```
gh run list                         # recent runs
gh run view 12345                   # run details
gh run view 12345 --log-failed      # failed step logs
gh run watch 12345                  # live status
```

### Triggering & Managing

```
gh workflow run deploy.yml --ref main
gh workflow list
gh workflow view deploy.yml
gh run rerun 12345 --failed   # rerun failed jobs
```

### Actions Options

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `-f key=value` | Pass input to workflow_dispatch |
| `--json` | Output as JSON |
| `-b branch` | Filter by branch |
| `gh run download 12345` | Download run artifacts |
| `gh cache list` | List Actions caches |
| `gh cache delete KEY` | Delete a cache entry |

## Releases

### Managing Releases

```
gh release create v1.0.0 --generate-notes
gh release create v1.0.0 ./dist/*.tar.gz
gh release list
gh release view v1.0.0
```

### Release Options

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `--title "Release v1.0"` | Set release title |
| `--notes "Changelog here"` | Set release notes inline |
| `--notes-file CHANGELOG.md` | Notes from file |
| `--generate-notes` | Auto-generate from commits |
| `--draft` | Create as draft |
| `--prerelease` | Mark as prerelease |
| `--latest` | Mark as latest release |
| `gh release download v1.0.0` | Download release assets |
| `gh release delete v1.0.0` | Delete a release |
| `gh release edit v1.0.0` | Edit release metadata |

## Gists

### Gist Commands

```
gh gist create file.py -d "My snippet"
gh gist create file1.js file2.js   # multi-file gist
gh gist list
gh gist view <id>
```

### Gist Options

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `-d "description"` | Set gist description |
| `--public` | Create public gist (default: secret) |
| `--web` | Open gist in browser |
| `gh gist edit <id>` | Edit gist files |
| `gh gist clone <id>` | Clone gist locally |
| `gh gist delete <id>` | Delete a gist |

## API

### Making API Calls

```
gh api repos/owner/repo
gh api repos/owner/repo/issues --method POST \
  -f title="Bug" -f body="Details"
gh api graphql -f query='{ viewer { login } }'
```

### Formatting Output

```
gh api repos/owner/repo --jq '.stargazers_count'
gh api repos/owner/repo --template '{{.full_name}}'
gh pr list --json number,title --jq '.[].title'
```

### API Options

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `--method GET\|POST\|PUT\|DELETE` | HTTP method |
| `-f key=value` | Set string field |
| `-F key=@file` | Set field from file |
| `--jq 'expression'` | Filter JSON with jq syntax |
| `--template 'tmpl'` | Format with Go template |
| `--paginate` | Fetch all pages |
| `-H 'Accept: ...'` | Set custom header |

## Aliases

### Managing Aliases

```
gh alias set co 'pr checkout'
gh alias set bugs 'issue list --label bug'
gh alias set last 'run list -L 1'
gh alias list
```

### Advanced Aliases

```
# Alias with shell command
gh alias set --shell pv 'gh pr view --json url --jq .url | pbcopy'

# Delete alias
gh alias delete co
```

### Alias Tips

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `gh alias set name 'cmd'` | Create simple alias |
| `--shell` | Alias runs via shell (supports pipes) |
| `gh alias list` | Show all defined aliases |
| `gh alias delete name` | Remove an alias |

## Common Patterns

### Daily Workflow

```
gh issue list --assignee @me        # my open issues
gh pr status                        # PRs needing attention
gh pr checks 123                    # CI status for PR
gh run list -b main -L 5            # recent CI runs
```

### Searching

```
gh search repos --language rust --stars ">1000"
gh search issues --repo owner/repo "memory leak"
gh search prs --state open --review required
```

### Useful Flags

| Command | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| `--json field1,field2` | Output specific fields as JSON |
| `--jq 'expr'` | Filter JSON output |
| `-L N` | Limit results to N items |
| `--web` | Open result in browser |
| `-R owner/repo` | Target a specific repository |
| `GH_TOKEN=xxx` | Auth via environment variable |