GitHub CLI Workflow: Pull Requests, Issues, and Actions from Terminal

GitHub from the Terminal

Master the GitHub CLI (gh) for creating PRs, managing issues, checking Actions status, and cloning repos — all without leaving the terminal.

The GitHub CLI (gh) brings pull requests, issues, Actions, and repos to your terminal — no browser needed for routine GitHub tasks.

By the end of this 12 min guide, you'll have a working GitHub CLI setup and practical GitHub CLI workflows you can use immediately.

• Understand what GitHub CLI does and why it matters for Development
• Install and configure GitHub CLI for your environment
• Build GitHub CLI-specific workflows with real examples
• Troubleshoot common GitHub CLI issues with concrete fixes

Installing & Authenticating gh

Install GitHub CLI:

brew install gh

• Development environment with appropriate permissions
• No prior GitHub CLI experience needed
• A terminal with true color support
• Git for version-controlling your config

PR & Issue Workflow

Run gh auth login to authenticate. Then use gh pr, gh issue, gh repo, and gh run subcommands for everything GitHub.

Here's a foundational configuration to start with:

# Create PR from CLI
gh pr create --title "Fix: login bug" --body "Resolves #123"
gh pr checkout 42  # checkout PR #42 locally
gh issue list --assignee @me

• Begin with this config and make small, incremental changes
• Document each setting with inline comments
• Test changes one at a time to isolate issues
• Keep your config in a Git repo for easy rollback and sharing

Actions & Workflow Runs

With GitHub CLI configured, these GitHub CLI-specific workflows will save you time every day:

• gh pr create open a PR from current branch
• gh pr checkout 42 check out a PR locally
• gh issue list --assignee @me your issues
• gh run watch watch Actions in terminal
• gh repo clone owner/repo clone with one command

Extensions & Aliases

Once you're comfortable with GitHub CLI basics, these advanced techniques will transform your GitHub CLI workflow:

• Custom aliases: gh alias set co "pr checkout"
• Extensions: install community-built commands
• Use gh api for direct API calls
• Integrate with LazyGit for PR workflows

API Rate Limit & Auth Issues

Here are the most common GitHub CLI issues and how to fix them:

• Auth failing? Run gh auth status to check
• Rate limited? Use --jq to limit API calls
• Extension not found? Run gh extension install
• Can't create PR? Ensure branch is pushed first

gh CLI Mastery

Congratulations — you now have a solid GitHub CLI foundation. Here's where to go next:

• Explore the official GitHub CLI documentation for features not covered here
• Join the GitHub CLI community (GitHub Discussions, Discord, or Reddit)
• Check the related tutorials below for deeper GitHub CLI dives
• Build your own GitHub CLI configuration and share it with the community