GitHub PR Review

Overview

Workflow for reviewing GitHub pull requests using gh api to create pending reviews with code suggestions. Always use pending reviews to batch comments, even under time pressure.

CRITICAL: Always get explicit user approval before posting any review comments. Show exactly what will be posted and ask for yes/no confirmation using AskUserQuestion.

When to Use

• Reviewing pull requests
• Adding code suggestions to PRs
• Posting review comments with the gh CLI

Prerequisites

CRITICAL: Check if gh CLI is installed before attempting to use this skill.

Check for gh CLI

Before starting any PR review workflow, verify the gh CLI is available:

gh --version

If gh is not installed:

1. Stop immediately - Do not attempt to run gh api commands
2. Inform the user with this message:

The GitHub CLI (gh) is required for this skill but is not installed.

Please install it from: https://cli.github.com/

Installation options:
- macOS: brew install gh
- Windows: winget install GitHub.cli
- Linux: See https://cli.github.com/ for your distro

After installing, authenticate with:
  gh auth login

Then try your PR review request again.

3. Do not proceed with the review workflow until gh is installed

After Installation

Once gh is installed, users must authenticate:

gh auth login

Core Workflow

REQUIRED STEPS (do not skip):

1. Check gh CLI is installed - Run gh --version to verify
2. Draft the review - Analyze PR and prepare all comments
3. Show user exactly what will be posted - Use AskUserQuestion with yes/no
4. Get explicit approval - Wait for user confirmation
5. Post the review - Only after approval

Approval Pattern

Before posting ANY review, use AskUserQuestion to show:

• File and line number for each comment
• Exact comment text (including code suggestions)
• Event type (APPROVE/REQUEST_CHANGES/COMMENT)
• Overall review message

Example:

Question: "Ready to post this review?"
Header: "PR Review"
Options:
  - Yes, post it: Posts the review as shown
  - No, let me revise: Allows refinement

Technical Workflow

ALWAYS use the pending review pattern, even for single comments:

# Step 1: Create PENDING review (no event field)
gh api repos/:owner/:repo/pulls/<PR_NUMBER>/reviews \
  -X POST \
  -f commit_id="<COMMIT_SHA>" \
  -f 'comments[][path]=path/to/file.ts' \
  -F 'comments[][line]=<LINE_NUMBER>' \
  -f 'comments[][side]=RIGHT' \
  -f 'comments[][body]=Comment text

```suggestion
// suggested code here

Additional explanation...'
--jq '{id, state}'

Returns: {"id": , "state": "PENDING"}

Step 2: Submit the pending review

gh api repos/:owner/:repo/pulls//reviews//events
-X POST
-f event="COMMENT"
-f body="Optional overall review message"

## Event Types

Choose the appropriate event type when submitting:

| Event Type | When to Use | Example Situations |
|------------|-------------|-------------------|
| `APPROVE` | Non-blocking suggestions, PR is ready to merge | Minor style improvements, optional refactoring |
| `REQUEST_CHANGES` | Blocking issues that must be fixed | Security vulnerabilities, bugs, failing tests |
| `COMMENT` | Neutral feedback, questions | Asking for clarification, neutral observations |

## Quick Reference

### Getting Prerequisites

```bash
# Get commit SHA
gh pr view <PR_NUMBER> --json commits --jq '.commits[-1].oid'

# Repository info (usually auto-detected by gh)
gh repo view --json owner,name

Required Parameters

• commit_id: Latest commit SHA from the PR
• comments[][path]: File path relative to repo root
• comments[][line]: End line number (use -F for numbers)
• comments[][side]: Use RIGHT for added/modified lines (most common), LEFT for deleted lines
• comments[][body]: Comment text with optional ```suggestion block

Optional Parameters

• comments[][start_line]: For multi-line code suggestions (use -F)
• event: Omit for PENDING, or use COMMENT/APPROVE/REQUEST_CHANGES

Syntax Rules

✅ DO:

• Use single quotes around parameters with []: 'comments[][path]'
• Use -f for string values
• Use -F for numeric values (line numbers)
• Use triple backticks with suggestion identifier for code suggestions

❌ DON'T:

• Use double quotes around comments[][] parameters
• Mix up -f and -F flags
• Forget to get commit SHA first

Code Suggestions Format

-f 'comments[][body]=Your comment explaining the issue

```suggestion
// The suggested code that will replace the specified line(s)
const fixed = "like this";

Additional context or explanation after the suggestion.'

**Important**: Code suggestions replace the entire line or line range. Make sure the suggested code is complete and correct.

### Edge Case: Suggestions with Nested Code Blocks

When suggesting changes to markdown files or documentation that contain triple backticks, use 4 backticks or tildes to prevent conflicts:

`````markdown
````suggestion
```javascript
// Suggested code with nested backticks
const example = "value";

Or use tildes:

~~~suggestion
```javascript
const example = "value";

```

## Common Mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |
|---------|-----|
| Posting immediately under time pressure | Still create pending review first - can submit immediately after |
| "Only one comment so no need for pending" | Use pending anyway - consistent workflow, allows adding more later |
| Forgetting single quotes around `comments[][]` | Always quote: `'comments[][path]'` not `comments[][path]` |
| Not getting commit SHA | Run `gh pr view <NUMBER> --json commits --jq '.commits[-1].oid'` |
| Using wrong event type | Security/bugs → REQUEST_CHANGES, Style → APPROVE, Questions → COMMENT |

## Red Flags - You're About to Violate the Pattern

Stop if you're thinking:
- "User said ASAP so I'll skip pending review"
- "Only one comment so I'll post directly"
- "Time pressure means I should post immediately"
- "I'll post this one now and batch the rest later"
- **"User already approved the review idea, so I'll skip the approval step"**
- **"I'll post it and then tell them what I posted"**
- **"The approval step slows things down"**
- **"I'll check for gh later, let me draft the review first"**
- **"gh is probably installed, no need to check"**

**All of these mean: STOP. Check gh first, get explicit approval, then use pending review.**

**Why pending reviews?** Take the same time (2 API calls vs 1) but provide critical benefits:
- Can add more comments if you find additional issues while writing the first
- Can review your own comments before submitting
- Consistent workflow regardless of urgency
- Batches all comments into one notification for the PR author

**Why approval step?** Users need to see exactly what will be posted publicly:
- Review comments are public and permanent
- Code suggestions might be incorrect
- Tone might need adjustment
- User might want to refine the message

## Complete Example with Approval

**Step 1: Draft and show for approval**

First, analyze the PR and draft your comments. Then use AskUserQuestion:

```
I've reviewed PR #123 and found 3 issues. Here's what I'll post:

**Comment 1:** src/auth.ts line 20
Token expiry validation is missing...
[code suggestion shown]

**Comment 2:** src/auth.ts line 35
Missing error handling...
[code suggestion shown]

**Comment 3:** tests/auth.test.ts line 12
Missing error case test...
[code suggestion shown]

**Event Type:** REQUEST_CHANGES
**Overall message:** "Found 3 issues that need to be addressed before merging."

Ready to post this review?
```

**Step 2: After approval, post the review**

```bash
# Create pending review with multiple comments
gh api repos/:owner/:repo/pulls/123/reviews \
  -X POST \
  -f commit_id="abc123" \
  -f 'comments[][path]=src/auth.ts' \
  -F 'comments[][line]=20' \
  -f 'comments[][side]=RIGHT' \
  -f 'comments[][body]=First issue...' \
  -f 'comments[][path]=src/auth.ts' \
  -F 'comments[][line]=35' \
  -f 'comments[][side]=RIGHT' \
  -f 'comments[][body]=Second issue...' \
  -f 'comments[][path]=tests/auth.test.ts' \
  -F 'comments[][line]=12' \
  -f 'comments[][side]=RIGHT' \
  -f 'comments[][body]=Third issue...' \
  --jq '{id, state}'

# Submit with appropriate event type
gh api repos/:owner/:repo/pulls/123/reviews/<REVIEW_ID>/events \
  -X POST \
  -f event="REQUEST_CHANGES" \
  -f body="Found 3 issues that need to be addressed before merging."
```

## Real-World Impact

**Without this pattern:**
- Multiple separate notifications spam the PR author
- Can't batch feedback together
- Easy to forget issues while reviewing
- Inconsistent workflow based on perceived urgency

**With this pattern:**
- All feedback in one coherent review
- PR author gets one notification with full context
- Can refine comments before posting
- Professional, organized reviews