Draft PR

Overview

This skill automates the complete workflow from local changes to draft pull request by:

1. •Using smart-commit to commit staged changes (creates feature branch if on main/master)
2. •Publishing the branch to remote
3. •Opening a draft PR using repository PR templates

Quick Start

Use this skill when you need to:

• •Commit local changes and immediately create a draft PR
• •Follow smart-commit best practices (auto-branching from main)
• •Use existing PR templates from the repository
• •Quickly share work-in-progress for early feedback

Workflow

1. Smart Commit

First, follow the smart-commit skill to:

• •Check if on main/master → create feature branch (johnmog-<area>-<change>)
• •Commit staged changes with concise message (≤52 chars)
• •Stay on current branch if not on main/master

See the smart-commit skill for detailed commit message guidelines.

2. Publish Branch

Push the current branch to remote:

git push -u origin <branch-name>

If branch already exists remotely:

git push

3. Find PR Template

Look for PR templates in common locations:

• •.github/pull_request_template.md
• •.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md
• •.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/*.md (multiple templates)
• •docs/pull_request_template.md
• •PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md (root)

If multiple templates exist, use the default or ask user which to use.

4. Create Draft PR

Use gh CLI to create draft PR:

gh pr create --draft --template <template-path>

If no template exists:

gh pr create --draft --title "<commit-message>" --body ""

The PR will:

• •Use the branch name and commit message as context
• •Be marked as draft (allows merging later without review requirements)
• •Include template sections if template exists

Examples

Example 1: Create Draft PR from Main

User Request: "Draft PR"

Current State:

$ git branch --show-current
main

$ git status
Changes to be committed:
  modified:   src/auth/login.js

Actions:

1. •Smart commit:
   • •Create branch: johnmog-auth-validation
   • •Commit: add user authentication validation
2. •Publish: git push -u origin johnmog-auth-validation
3. •Find template: .github/pull_request_template.md exists
4. •Create PR: gh pr create --draft --template .github/pull_request_template.md

Output:

Created branch: johnmog-auth-validation
Committed: add user authentication validation
Published branch to remote
Created draft PR: https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/123

Example 2: Draft PR from Existing Branch

User Request: "Create a draft PR"

Current State:

$ git branch --show-current
johnmog-cache-fix

$ git status
Changes to be committed:
  modified:   src/utils/cache.js

Actions:

1. •Smart commit: fix cache undefined access
2. •Publish: git push -u origin johnmog-cache-fix
3. •No template found
4. •Create PR: gh pr create --draft --title "fix cache undefined access" --body ""

Output:

Committed: fix cache undefined access
Published branch to remote
Created draft PR: https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/124

Example 3: Multiple PR Templates

User Request: "Draft PR for bug fix"

Template Selection:

Found multiple PR templates:
1. .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/bug_fix.md
2. .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/feature.md
3. .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/docs.md

Which template? bug_fix

Actions:

1. •Smart commit workflow
2. •Publish branch
3. •Create PR: gh pr create --draft --template .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/bug_fix.md

Error Handling

No staged changes:

Error: No changes staged for commit.
Please stage changes with: git add <files>

Branch already published:

Branch already exists on remote. Pushing latest changes...

PR already exists:

Error: Pull request already exists for this branch.
View it at: https://github.com/owner/repo/pull/123

Not authenticated with gh:

Error: Not authenticated with GitHub CLI.
Please run: gh auth login

No remote configured:

Error: No remote 'origin' configured.
Please add remote: git remote add origin <url>

Prerequisites

• •Git repository with remote configured
• •GitHub CLI (gh) installed and authenticated
• •Staged changes ready to commit

Best Practices

1. •Review before committing: Check git diff --cached
2. •Keep commits atomic: One logical change per commit
3. •Use draft status: Mark incomplete work as draft
4. •Add description: Fill out PR template sections after creation
5. •Link issues: Reference related issues in PR body

Integration with Smart Commit

This skill extends smart-commit by:

• •Using same branch naming conventions
• •Following same commit message guidelines
• •Automatically handling main/master branching
• •Adding publish and PR creation steps

Related Skills

• •smart-commit: Core commit workflow
• •code-reviewer: Review changes before creating PR