GitHub CLI Cheatsheet
GitHub CLI (gh) brings GitHub to your terminal. Create repositories, manage pull requests, review issues, and run GitHub Actions workflows—all without leaving the command line. This cheatsheet covers the most useful commands for daily development.
Installation
Core Commands
Aliases & Shortcuts
Installation & Setup
# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install gh
# Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)
sudo apt install gh
# Windows (Scoop)
scoop install gh
# Verify installation
gh --version
# Authentication (required first step)
gh auth login
# Choose GitHub.com, SSH/HTTPS, and login via browser
After authentication, `gh` remembers your credentials. You can also use `gh auth status` to check which account you're logged into.
Repository Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
gh repo create <name> | Create a new repository |
gh repo clone <repo> | Clone a repository |
gh repo fork <repo> | Fork a repository |
gh repo view | View repository description and README |
gh repo list | List repositories for a user or org |
gh repo delete <repo> | Delete a repository (use with caution!) |
gh repo archive <repo> | Archive a repository |
gh repo edit | Edit repository settings (description, visibility) |
# Create a repo from current directory
gh repo create my-project --public --source=. --remote=origin --push
# Clone a repository with a different name
gh repo clone octocat/Spoon-Knife my-fork
# View repo in browser (add -w flag)
gh repo view --web
Pull Request Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
gh pr create | Create a pull request |
gh pr list | List pull requests |
gh pr checkout <number> | Checkout a PR locally |
gh pr diff <number> | View PR changes |
gh pr review | Review a pull request |
gh pr merge | Merge a pull request |
gh pr status | Show status of current branch's PR |
gh pr comment <number> | Add a comment to a PR |
gh pr ready <number> | Mark draft PR as ready for review |
# Create a PR with title and body
gh pr create --title "Add new feature" --body "Closes #123" --base main
# List open PRs assigned to you
gh pr list --assignee @me --state open
# Review and approve a PR
gh pr review 42 --approve --body "Looks good!"
# Merge a PR with squash strategy
gh pr merge 42 --squash --delete-branch
Issue Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
gh issue create | Create an issue |
gh issue list | List issues |
gh issue view <number> | View an issue |
gh issue close <number> | Close an issue |
gh issue reopen <number> | Reopen an issue |
gh issue comment <number> | Add a comment |
gh issue edit <number> | Edit issue title or body |
gh issue transfer <number> <repo> | Move issue to another repo |
# Create an issue with label and assignee
gh issue create --title "Bug: login fails" --body "Steps to reproduce..." --label bug --assignee octocat
# List issues with label "bug"
gh issue list --label bug --state open
# View issue in browser
gh issue view 42 --web
Workflow & Actions Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
gh workflow list | List workflows in the repository |
gh workflow run <name> | Trigger a workflow run |
gh workflow view <name> | View workflow details |
gh run list | List recent workflow runs |
gh run view <id> | View a specific run |
gh run watch <id> | Watch a run with live logs |
gh run rerun <id> | Rerun a failed workflow |
gh run cancel <id> | Cancel a running workflow |
# List all workflows
gh workflow list
# Trigger a workflow with parameters
gh workflow run ci.yml --ref main -f environment=staging
# View the latest failed run
gh run list --status failure --limit 1
# Watch a run's logs in real-time
gh run watch 12345678
Gist Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
gh gist create <file> | Create a new gist |
gh gist list | List your gists |
gh gist view <id> | View a gist |
gh gist edit <id> | Edit a gist |
gh gist clone <id> | Clone a gist |
gh gist delete <id> | Delete a gist |
# Create a public gist from a file
gh gist create script.js --public
# Create a private gist with description
gh gist create README.md --private --desc "Project notes"
# List gists with filters
gh gist list --limit 10 --public
Custom Aliases
Create shortcuts for frequently used commands to save time. Aliases can combine multiple gh commands or include shell commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
gh alias set <name> <cmd> | Create a new alias |
gh alias list | List all aliases |
gh alias delete <name> | Delete an alias |
# Create alias for "pr list --assignee @me"
gh alias set mypr 'pr list --assignee @me'
# Create alias for opening issue in browser
gh alias set issuew 'issue view $1 --web'
# Create alias for listing recent runs
gh alias set runs 'run list --limit 5'
# Use aliases
gh mypr
gh issuew 42
Interactive Mode & Useful Flags
Many gh commands run in interactive mode when no arguments are provided, prompting you for title, body, labels, etc. Common flags include:
| Flag | Description |
|---|---|
--web | Open the result in a browser |
--json | Output as JSON for scripting |
--jq | Filter JSON output using jq |
--repo | Specify repository (owner/repo) |
--label | Filter by labels |
--assignee | Filter by assignee (@me for yourself) |
--state | Filter by state (open, closed, merged) |
--limit | Limit number of results |
# Output as JSON and filter with jq
gh pr list --state open --json title,number --jq '.[] | "#\(.number): \(.title)"'
# Open PR diff in browser
gh pr diff 42 --web
# Work on a different repo without cd-ing
gh pr list --repo octocat/Hello-World
Shell Integration
Add gh to your shell prompt to see GitHub context. The gh copilot command (if installed) provides suggestions for gh commands.
# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc for prompt integration
eval "$(gh copilot prompt --shell=zsh)" # For zsh
eval "$(gh copilot prompt --shell=bash)" # For bash
# Show git status with GitHub info
gh prompt
# Get suggested command explanations
gh copilot explain "create a PR with title feat: add search"
# Generate gh commands from natural language
gh copilot suggest "list all open issues assigned to me"
Productivity Tips
- Use `.` as a shorthand for current repository - When inside a git repo, you can omit the repo name for most commands.
- Combine with jq for scripting - Pipe JSON output to jq to extract specific fields for automation.
- Set default git protocol - `gh auth setup-git` sets up git to use the gh authentication for HTTPS.
- Use extensions - `gh extension install` installs community extensions. Try `gh repo view` or `gh project`.
- Create issue from commit - `gh issue create --title "Fix: $(git log -1 --pretty=%s)"`
- Quick PR from current branch - `gh pr create --fill` fills title and body from commits.
Pro tip: Set
GH_PAGER to use a different pager: export GH_PAGER="less -R" for colored output.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I switch between multiple GitHub accounts?
Use
gh auth switch or set the GH_HOST environment variable for different hosts. You can also use gh auth login --hostname enterprise.internal for GitHub Enterprise. Can I use gh in CI/CD scripts?
Yes! Use
gh auth login --with-token < $GITHUB_TOKEN to authenticate in GitHub Actions. The GITHUB_TOKEN is automatically available. How do I update gh to the latest version?
Run
gh update to check for and install updates. On package managers, use your regular update commands (brew upgrade gh, apt upgrade gh). What's the difference between gh and git?
git is the version control system. gh adds GitHub-specific features on top of git. You still use git for commits, branches, and pushes. gh handles GitHub operations like creating PRs, issues, and releases.
Can I use gh without authentication for public operations?
Some operations work without authentication (like viewing public repos), but most require authentication. Run
gh auth login first for full functionality. How do I list all PRs I've reviewed?
gh pr list --search "reviewed-by:@me" --state all uses GitHub's search syntax to find PRs you've reviewed. Can I create a PR from a specific commit?
Yes:
gh pr create --head branch-name --base main --title "Title" creates a PR from the current branch. To use a specific commit, ensure that's the HEAD of your branch. How do I get help for a specific command?
Use
gh help <command> or gh <command> --help. For example, gh pr create --help shows all options for creating a PR.
Quick Reference Card
# Most frequently used commands
gh auth login # First time setup
gh repo create # Create a new repo
gh repo clone # Clone a repo
gh pr create # Create a pull request
gh pr list # List open PRs
gh pr checkout # Checkout PR locally
gh pr merge # Merge a PR
gh issue create # Create an issue
gh issue list # List open issues
gh run list # List workflow runs
gh run view # View run logs
gh alias set # Create shortcuts
gh extension install ... # Install extensions
GitHub CLI turns your terminal into a complete GitHub client. Master these commands to speed up your daily workflow and reduce context switching between browser and terminal.