docs/content/github-cli/github-cli/quickstart.md

title, intro, versions, topics, type, allowTitleToDifferFromFilename, shortTitle

title	intro	versions	topics	type	allowTitleToDifferFromFilename	shortTitle
GitHub CLI quickstart	Start using {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} to work with {% data variables.product.company_short %} in the command line.	fpt ghes ghec * * *	CLI	overview	true	Quickstart

About {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %}

{% data reusables.cli.about-cli %}

Prerequisites

{% data reusables.rest-api.github-cli-install-and-auth %}

Some useful commands

Note

When you use some commands for the first time - for example, gh codespace SUBCOMMAND - you'll be prompted to add extra scopes to your authentication token. Follow the onscreen instructions.

Viewing your status

Enter gh status to see details of your current work on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} across all the repositories you're subscribed to.

Viewing a repository

Enter gh repo view OWNER/REPO to see the repository description and README.md for the repository. Enter gh repo view OWNER/REPO --web to view the repository in your default browser.

If you run the repo subcommand from within the directory of a local Git repository that has a remote on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} you can omit OWNER/REPO.

Cloning a repository

Enter gh repo clone OWNER/REPO. For example, gh repo clone octo-org/octo-repo clones the octo-org/octo-repo repository to the directory from which you ran this command on your local computer.

Creating a repository

Enter gh repo create and follow the on-screen instructions. You can create a new, empty repository on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} and then, optionally, clone it locally. Alternatively, you can push an existing local repository to {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %}, and optionally set it as the remote for your local repository. For information on setting a local directory as a Git repository, see AUTOTITLE.

Working with issues

Enter gh issue list --repo OWNER/REPO to list the most recently created issues that are currently open for the specified repository. If you run the issue subcommand from within the directory of a local Git repository that has a remote on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} you can omit --repo OWNER/REPO. For example, enter gh issue list --assignee "@me" to list issues assigned to you in this repository, or gh issue list --author monalisa to list issues created by the user "monalisa."

You can also create a new issue, see AUTOTITLE, or search for an issue, see AUTOTITLE.

Working with pull requests

Enter gh pr list --repo OWNER/REPO to list the most recently created pull requests that are currently open for the specified repository. If you run the pr subcommand from within the directory of a local Git repository that has a remote on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom %} you can omit --repo OWNER/REPO. For example, enter gh pr list --author "@me" to list open pull requests that you created in this repository.

Enter gh pr list --label LABEL-NAME to list open pull requests with a specific label. Enter gh search prs --review-requested=@me --state=open to list pull requests that you've been asked to review.

To create a pull request, enter gh pr create and follow the on-screen instructions. For more information, see AUTOTITLE.

Working with codespaces

To create a new codespace, enter gh codespace create and follow the on-screen instructions.

To display your existing codespaces, enter gh codespace list. To open a codespace in the web version of {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode_shortname %} enter gh codespace code -w and choose a codespace.

In all of these commands you can substitute cs for codespace.

Getting help

Enter gh for a reminder of the top-level {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} commands that you can use. For example, issue, pr, repo, and so on.

For each command, and each subsidiary subcommand, you can append the --help flag to find out how it's used. For example, gh issue --help or gh issue create --help.

Customizing {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %}

You can change configuration settings and add aliases or extensions, to make {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} work the way that suits you best.

• Enter gh config set SUBCOMMANDS to configure {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %}'s settings, replacing SUBCOMMANDS with the setting you want to adjust.

  For example, you can specify the text editor that's used when a {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} command requires you to edit text - such as when you add the body text for a new issue you're creating. To set your preferred text editor to {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %} enter gh config set editor "code -w". The -w (or --wait) flag in this example causes the command to wait for the file to be closed in {% data variables.product.prodname_vscode %} before proceeding with the next step in your terminal.

  For more information, see gh config set.

• Define aliases for commands that you commonly run. For example, if you run gh alias set prd "pr create --draft", you will then be able to run gh prd to quickly open a draft pull request. For more information, see gh alias.

• Create or add custom commands with {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} extensions. For more information, see AUTOTITLE and AUTOTITLE.

Using {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} with multiple accounts

If you have multiple accounts on the same {% data variables.product.github %} platform, such as {% data variables.location.product_location %}, you can authenticate to each one and switch between them using the gh auth switch command. See gh auth switch in the {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} manual.

If you need to use the {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} across multiple {% data variables.product.github %} platforms, such as a personal account on {% data variables.product.prodname_dotcom_the_website %} and a {% data variables.enterprise.prodname_managed_user %} on {% data variables.enterprise.data_residency_site %}, see AUTOTITLE.

Further reading

• AUTOTITLE
• {% data variables.product.prodname_cli %} online manual