/gh-pr-update - Update PR Branch

Update a pull request's branch with the latest changes from the base branch.

Usage

bash

/gh-pr-update             # Update current PR's branch
/gh-pr-update 123         # Update PR #123's branch
/gh-pr-update --rebase    # Rebase instead of merge
/gh-pr-update --local     # Update locally and push

When to Use

•PR shows "branch is out of date"
•Base branch has new commits you need
•CI requires branches to be up to date
•Before merging to ensure compatibility

Workflow

Option 1: GitHub API Update (Default)

Uses GitHub's API to update the branch without local checkout:

bash

# Using gh CLI
gh pr update-branch $PR_NUM

# Using GitHub MCP
mcp__github__update_pull_request_branch(owner, repo, pr_number)

Option 2: Local Update

For more control or when API update isn't available:

bash

# Switch to PR branch
git checkout feat/dark-mode

# Merge main into the branch
git merge origin/main

# Or rebase onto main
git rebase origin/main

# Push updated branch
git push origin feat/dark-mode
# Or force push if rebased
git push --force-with-lease origin feat/dark-mode

Output Format

Successful Update (API)

code

Updating PR #123 branch...

Before:
  Branch: feat/dark-mode
  Behind main by: 5 commits
  Ahead of main by: 3 commits

Updating via GitHub...

After:
  ✓ Branch updated successfully
  Behind main by: 0 commits
  Ahead of main by: 8 commits (3 original + 5 merged)

New commits from main:
  abc1234 Fix security vulnerability
  def5678 Update dependencies
  ghi9012 Performance improvements
  jkl3456 Bug fix
  mno7890 Documentation update

CI checks will re-run automatically.
Check status with: /gh-pr-status

Successful Update (Local)

code

Updating PR #123 branch locally...

Fetching origin/main...
Merging main into feat/dark-mode...

Merge complete! Pushed to origin.

Updated commits:
  your-commit-1 Your changes
  your-commit-2 More changes
  merge-commit Merge branch 'main' into feat/dark-mode

Branch is now up to date with main.

Already Up to Date

code

PR #123 branch is already up to date with main.

No update needed.

Update Failed - Conflicts

code

Cannot auto-update PR #123 branch.

Reason: Merge conflicts detected

Conflicting files:
  - src/components/Header.tsx
  - src/api/auth.ts

To resolve:

  1. Update locally:
     git checkout feat/dark-mode
     git merge origin/main

  2. Resolve conflicts:
     /git-conflicts

  3. Push resolved branch:
     /git-push

Or use rebase:
  /gh-pr-update --rebase --local

Rebase Update

code

Rebasing PR #123 onto main...

Rebasing 3 commits:
  abc1234 Add theme component
  def5678 Wire up context
  ghi9012 Add styles

Rebase successful!

Note: Force push required (history rewritten)
Pushing with --force-with-lease...

Branch updated. CI will re-run.

Warning: Any local clones of this branch will need to reset:
  git fetch origin
  git reset --hard origin/feat/dark-mode

Merge vs Rebase

Method	Pros	Cons
Merge	Safe, no force push	Adds merge commit
Rebase	Clean linear history	Requires force push

Recommendation:

•Use merge for shared branches or if unsure
•Use rebase for personal branches you want clean

Protected Branch Scenarios

If base branch has protection requiring updates:

code

Branch protection requires update before merge.

Repository setting: "Require branches to be up to date"

Options:
  /gh-pr-update          # Update branch with main
  /gh-pr-update --rebase # Rebase onto main

After update, CI will re-run (required for merge).

Force Push Safety

When rebasing requires force push:

code

Rebase complete. Force push needed.

Safety checks:
  ✓ No new commits on remote since last fetch
  ✓ Using --force-with-lease (safer)
  ⚠️ Will rewrite 3 commits

This is safe because:
  - You're the only one working on this branch
  - Or: All collaborators are aware

Proceed with force push? [y/n]

Integration

•Use /gh-pr-status to check if update is needed
•Use /git-merge-main for local merge approach
•Use /git-rebase for local rebase approach
•Use /gh-pr-merge after update succeeds