GitHub SDLC Management

Comprehensive guide for GitHub Software Development Lifecycle management using the latest 2025 features, APIs, CLI commands, and MCP servers.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user requests:

Creating, managing, or querying GitHub Issues
Working with GitHub Projects (V2)
Managing Pull Requests and code reviews
Creating or managing Releases and Milestones
Repository, branch, or workflow management
Using the gh CLI for GitHub operations
Integrating with GitHub via MCP servers
Any GitHub API or automation tasks

1. GitHub Issues (2025 Features)

Latest Features (GA April 2025)

Sub-Issues

Nested hierarchy: Up to 8 levels of parent-child relationships
Progress tracking: Automatic aggregation across sub-issue hierarchy
Visual representation: Tree view in project boards
Conversion: Transform checklist items to sub-issues directly

CLI Commands:

# Create a sub-issue
gh issue create --title "Sub-issue title" --parent 123

# List sub-issues of a parent
gh issue view 123 --json subIssues

# Convert checklist to sub-issue (via web UI)

REST API:

# Create sub-issue
gh api -X POST /repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues \
  -f title="Sub-issue" \
  -f parent_issue_id=123

# Get sub-issues
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/123/sub_issues

Issue Types

Organization-level types: Bug, Feature, Task, Spike, Infrastructure, Test, Documentation, Refactor
Customizable: Up to 25 custom types per organization
Color coding: Visual classification with 8 color options
REST API support: Full CRUD operations via API

CLI Commands:

# List organization issue types
gh api /orgs/{org}/issue-types

# Create issue type
gh api -X POST /orgs/{org}/issue-types \
  -f name="Spike" \
  -f description="Research task" \
  -f color="purple" \
  -F is_enabled=true

# Set issue type
gh api -X PATCH /repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/{number} \
  -f type="Feature"

Advanced Search

Complex queries: AND, OR, parentheses for nested searches
Combined filters: Mix issue metadata, labels, assignees, dates
Global search: Search across all repositories or organization-wide

Search Examples:

# Complex AND/OR search
gh issue list --search "is:open (label:bug OR label:critical) assignee:@me"

# Date range queries
gh issue list --search "created:>=2025-01-01 updated:<2025-02-01"

# Advanced filters
gh search issues "repo:owner/repo is:issue is:open type:bug milestone:v1.0"

Issue Management Commands

# Create issue with type
gh issue create --title "Title" --body "Description" \
  --label "priority:high" --assignee @me

# List issues with filters
gh issue list --state open --label bug --assignee @me

# Update issue
gh issue edit 123 --add-label "in-progress" --milestone "v2.0"

# Close issue
gh issue close 123 --comment "Fixed in #125"

# Reopen issue
gh issue reopen 123

# Transfer issue to another repo
gh issue transfer 123 owner/other-repo

# Pin important issues
gh api -X PATCH /repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues/123 \
  -f pinned=true

Issue Templates & Forms

Create issue template:

# .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.yml
name: Bug Report
description: File a bug report
title: "[Bug]: "
labels: ["bug", "triage"]
assignees:
  - username
body:
  - type: markdown
    attributes:
      value: |
        Thanks for taking the time to fill out this bug report!
  - type: input
    id: contact
    attributes:
      label: Contact Details
      description: How can we get in touch with you if we need more info?
      placeholder: ex. email@example.com
    validations:
      required: false
  - type: textarea
    id: what-happened
    attributes:
      label: What happened?
      description: Also tell us, what did you expect to happen?
      placeholder: Tell us what you see!
    validations:
      required: true
  - type: dropdown
    id: version
    attributes:
      label: Version
      description: What version of our software are you running?
      options:
        - 1.0.2 (Default)
        - 1.0.3 (Edge)
    validations:
      required: true

2. GitHub Projects V2 (2025)

Custom Fields (Up to 50 per project)

Field Types:

Single Select: Priority (High/Medium/Low)
Number: Story points, effort estimates
Date: Due dates, sprint start/end
Text: Quick notes, descriptions
Iteration: Week-by-week planning with breaks
Status: Workflow states (New, In Progress, Done)

CLI Commands:

# List project fields
gh project field-list <number> --owner <org>

# Create custom field
gh project field-create <number> --owner <org> \
  --name "Story Points" \
  --data-type NUMBER

# Create single-select field
gh project field-create <number> --owner <org> \
  --name "Priority" \
  --data-type SINGLE_SELECT \
  --single-select-options "High,Medium,Low"

# Update item field value
gh project item-edit --id <item-id> \
  --project-id <number> \
  --field-id <field-id> \
  --number 8

Views

View Types:

TABLE: Spreadsheet-like view with columns
BOARD: Kanban board grouped by status/field
ROADMAP: Timeline view with date fields

GraphQL API:

# Create new view
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation {
    createProjectV2View(input: {
      projectId: "PROJECT_ID"
      name: "Sprint Board"
      layout: BOARD_LAYOUT
    }) {
      projectV2View {
        id
        name
      }
    }
  }
'

# Update view filters
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation {
    updateProjectV2View(input: {
      viewId: "VIEW_ID"
      filter: "is:open assignee:@me"
    }) {
      projectV2View {
        id
      }
    }
  }
'

Automation Workflows

Built-in Workflows:

Auto-add items: Automatically add issues/PRs matching criteria
Auto-archive: Archive items when closed/merged
Auto-set fields: Set field values on item state changes

CLI Configuration:

# Add item to project
gh project item-add <number> --owner <org> \
  --url https://github.com/owner/repo/issues/123

# Auto-archive closed items
gh api graphql -f query='
  mutation {
    updateProjectV2(input: {
      projectId: "PROJECT_ID"
      autoArchive: true
    }) {
      projectV2 {
        id
      }
    }
  }
'

GitHub Actions Integration:

# .github/workflows/project-automation.yml
name: Add issues to project
on:
  issues:
    types: [opened, labeled]

jobs:
  add-to-project:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/add-to-project@v1.0.2
        with:
          project-url: https://github.com/orgs/ORG/projects/1
          github-token: ${{ secrets.PROJECT_TOKEN }}
          labeled: bug, feature

Insights & Charts

# Query project items for custom charts
gh api graphql -f query='
  query {
    organization(login: "ORG") {
      projectV2(number: 1) {
        items(first: 100) {
          nodes {
            fieldValues(first: 20) {
              nodes {
                ... on ProjectV2ItemFieldSingleSelectValue {
                  name
                  field {
                    ... on ProjectV2SingleSelectField {
                      name
                    }
                  }
                }
              }
            }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
'

3. Pull Requests (2025 Features)

New "Files Changed" Experience (Nov 2025)

Batch Suggested Changes:

Click "Add suggestion to batch" for multiple suggestions
Review all batched suggestions before committing
Commit multiple suggestions at once

Copilot Integration (Enterprise/Pro+):

AI-powered change grouping
Contextual understanding of related changes
Intelligent file organization

Merge Queue (GA 2025)

Features:

Ensures changes pass CI with latest main
Prevents merge conflicts
Shows optional status checks
Supports all merge methods

CLI Commands:

# Enable merge queue for branch
gh api -X PUT /repos/{owner}/{repo}/branches/{branch}/protection \
  -f required_status_checks='{"strict":true,"contexts":[]}' \
  -f merge_queue='{"enabled":true}'

# Add PR to merge queue
gh pr merge 123 --merge --queue

# Check queue status
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/merges/queues/{branch}

Pull Request Commands

# Create PR
gh pr create --title "Feature X" \
  --body "Description" \
  --base main \
  --head feature-branch \
  --assignee @me \
  --reviewer user1,user2 \
  --label "enhancement"

# Create draft PR
gh pr create --draft

# List PRs
gh pr list --state open --author @me

# View PR details
gh pr view 123 --json title,body,reviews,files

# Review PR
gh pr review 123 --approve
gh pr review 123 --request-changes --body "Please fix X"
gh pr review 123 --comment --body "LGTM"

# Checkout PR locally
gh pr checkout 123

# Update PR branch
gh pr edit 123 --add-label "ready-for-review"

# Convert draft to ready
gh pr ready 123

# Merge PR (various methods)
gh pr merge 123 --merge       # Create merge commit
gh pr merge 123 --squash      # Squash and merge
gh pr merge 123 --rebase      # Rebase and merge
gh pr merge 123 --auto        # Auto-merge when checks pass
gh pr merge 123 --queue       # Add to merge queue

# Close without merging
gh pr close 123 --comment "Closing due to X"

Code Review Features

# Request reviewers
gh pr edit 123 --add-reviewer user1,team1

# Dismiss review
gh api -X PUT /repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/123/reviews/{review_id}/dismissals \
  -f message="Outdated review"

# Enable auto-merge
gh pr merge 123 --auto --squash

# Add review comment on specific line
gh pr review 123 --comment \
  --body "Consider using const here" \
  --path src/file.ts \
  --line 42

4. Releases & Milestones

Automated Release Notes (2025)

Features:

Auto-generate from commits and PRs
Categorize by labels (features, bugs, breaking changes)
Exclude specific labels/users
Semantic versioning support

CLI Commands:

# Create release with auto-generated notes
gh release create v1.0.0 \
  --title "Version 1.0.0" \
  --generate-notes

# Create release with custom notes template
gh release create v1.0.0 \
  --notes-file RELEASE_NOTES.md

# Create pre-release
gh release create v1.0.0-beta.1 --prerelease

# Upload assets
gh release create v1.0.0 --notes "Release notes" \
  dist/app.zip dist/app.tar.gz

# Edit release
gh release edit v1.0.0 --draft=false

# Delete release
gh release delete v1.0.0 --yes

# Download release assets
gh release download v1.0.0 --pattern "*.zip"

Release Notes Configuration

.github/release.yml:

changelog:
  exclude:
    labels:
      - ignore-for-release
    authors:
      - dependabot
  categories:
    - title: Breaking Changes 🛠
      labels:
        - breaking-change
    - title: New Features 🎉
      labels:
        - enhancement
        - feature
    - title: Bug Fixes 🐛
      labels:
        - bug
        - fix
    - title: Other Changes
      labels:
        - "*"

Milestones

# Create milestone
gh api -X POST /repos/{owner}/{repo}/milestones \
  -f title="v2.0" \
  -f description="Major release" \
  -f due_on="2025-12-31T00:00:00Z"

# List milestones
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/milestones

# Add issue to milestone
gh issue edit 123 --milestone "v2.0"

# Close milestone
gh api -X PATCH /repos/{owner}/{repo}/milestones/1 \
  -f state="closed"

# Get milestone progress
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/milestones/1 --jq \
  '{open: .open_issues, closed: .closed_issues, progress: (.closed_issues / (.open_issues + .closed_issues) * 100)}'

5. Repository & Branch Management

Repository Operations

# Create repository
gh repo create my-repo --public --description "My project"
gh repo create my-repo --private --clone

# Clone repository
gh repo clone owner/repo

# Fork repository
gh repo fork owner/repo --clone

# View repository
gh repo view owner/repo --web

# Set default branch
gh api -X PATCH /repos/{owner}/{repo} \
  -f default_branch="main"

# Archive repository
gh api -X PATCH /repos/{owner}/{repo} \
  -f archived=true

# Enable/disable features
gh api -X PATCH /repos/{owner}/{repo} \
  -f has_issues=true \
  -f has_projects=true \
  -f has_wiki=false

# Sync fork
gh repo sync owner/forked-repo \
  -b main \
  --source upstream/original-repo

Branch Protection Rules

# Create branch protection rule
gh api -X PUT /repos/{owner}/{repo}/branches/{branch}/protection \
  -f required_status_checks='{"strict":true,"contexts":["ci"]}' \
  -f enforce_admins=true \
  -f required_pull_request_reviews='{"required_approving_review_count":2}' \
  -f restrictions=null

# Rulesets (new approach, 2024+)
gh api -X POST /repos/{owner}/{repo}/rulesets \
  -f name="Protect main" \
  -f target="branch" \
  -f enforcement="active" \
  -f bypass_actors='[]' \
  -f conditions='{"ref_name":{"include":["refs/heads/main"]}}' \
  -f rules='[{"type":"required_status_checks","parameters":{"required_status_checks":[{"context":"ci"}]}}]'

# List rulesets
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/rulesets

# Require signed commits
gh api -X PUT /repos/{owner}/{repo}/branches/{branch}/protection \
  -f required_signatures=true

Branch Operations

# Create branch from issue
gh issue develop 123 --checkout

# List branches
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/branches

# Delete branch
gh api -X DELETE /repos/{owner}/{repo}/git/refs/heads/{branch}

# Compare branches
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/compare/main...feature-branch

6. GitHub CLI (gh) Advanced Features

Configuration

# Login
gh auth login

# Set default editor
gh config set editor vim

# Set protocol (HTTPS/SSH)
gh config set git_protocol ssh

# View configuration
gh config list

# Aliases
gh alias set co 'pr checkout'
gh alias set pv 'pr view --web'

Extensions

Popular Extensions:

# Install extensions
gh extension install dlvhdr/gh-dash        # Interactive dashboard
gh extension install mislav/gh-branch      # Enhanced branch management
gh extension install k1LoW/gh-grep         # Search across repos
gh extension install seachicken/gh-poi     # Clean up local branches

# Browse extensions
gh extension browse

# Search extensions
gh extension search dashboard

# List installed extensions
gh extension list

# Upgrade extensions
gh extension upgrade --all

API Access

# Call any GitHub API endpoint
gh api /user
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues

# POST request
gh api -X POST /repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues \
  -f title="New issue" \
  -f body="Description"

# GraphQL queries
gh api graphql -f query='
  query {
    viewer {
      login
      repositories(first: 5) {
        nodes {
          name
        }
      }
    }
  }
'

# Paginate results
gh api --paginate /orgs/{org}/repos

# Output as JSON and process with jq
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/issues | jq '.[] | {number, title}'

Workflows (GitHub Actions)

# List workflows
gh workflow list

# View workflow runs
gh run list --workflow=ci.yml

# View specific run
gh run view 123456

# Re-run workflow
gh run rerun 123456

# Watch workflow run
gh run watch 123456

# Trigger workflow manually
gh workflow run deploy.yml -f environment=production

# Download workflow artifacts
gh run download 123456

# View workflow logs
gh run view 123456 --log

7. Model Context Protocol (MCP) Integration

GitHub MCP Servers

Official Servers:

Git MCP Server: Repository manipulation, commit history, diff operations
Filesystem MCP Server: File operations with security constraints
GitHub API MCP Server: Full GitHub API access via MCP

Installation:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "ghp_your_token"
      }
    },
    "git": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-git"]
    }
  }
}

Available Tools via MCP:

create_repository: Create new GitHub repository
get_file_contents: Read file from repository
create_or_update_file: Commit changes to files
push_files: Batch commit multiple files
create_issue: Create GitHub issue
create_pull_request: Open pull request
fork_repository: Fork a repository
create_branch: Create new branch
search_repositories: Search GitHub repositories
search_code: Search code across GitHub
search_issues: Search issues and PRs
search_users: Find GitHub users

GitHub Copilot + MCP (GA Aug 2025)

Supported IDEs:

JetBrains (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.)
Eclipse
Xcode
VS Code (via extensions)

Configuration:

{
  "github.copilot.mcp.servers": {
    "custom-github-tools": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/path/to/mcp-server.js"],
      "env": {
        "GITHUB_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

8. Common Workflows & Automation

Issue Triage Workflow

# Daily triage script
#!/bin/bash

# Get all new unlabeled issues
gh issue list --label "!triage" --state open --json number,title | \
  jq -r '.[] | "\(.number): \(.title)"' | \
  while read issue; do
    echo "Triage issue: $issue"
    # Add triage label
    gh issue edit $(echo $issue | cut -d: -f1) --add-label "triage"
  done

# Auto-label based on title patterns
gh issue list --state open --json number,title,labels | \
  jq -r '.[] | select(.labels | length == 0) |
    if .title | test("\\[bug\\]|bug:"; "i") then
      "\(.number) bug"
    elif .title | test("\\[feature\\]|feat:"; "i") then
      "\(.number) enhancement"
    else empty end' | \
  while read num label; do
    gh issue edit $num --add-label "$label"
  done

PR Review Reminder

# .github/workflows/pr-review-reminder.yml
name: PR Review Reminder
on:
  schedule:
    - cron: '0 9 * * 1-5'  # Weekdays at 9 AM

jobs:
  remind:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - name: Find stale PRs
        run: |
          gh pr list --state open --json number,title,createdAt,reviews \
            --jq '.[] | select((.reviews | length) == 0 and
              ((now - (.createdAt | fromdateiso8601)) > 86400))' | \
            while read pr; do
              gh pr comment $pr --body "⏰ Reminder: This PR needs review"
            done
        env:
          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}

Release Automation

# .github/workflows/release.yml
name: Create Release
on:
  push:
    tags:
      - 'v*'

jobs:
  release:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

      - name: Build artifacts
        run: |
          npm ci
          npm run build
          npm run package

      - name: Create Release
        uses: ncipollo/release-action@v1
        with:
          artifacts: "dist/*.zip,dist/*.tar.gz"
          generateReleaseNotes: true
          makeLatest: true

9. Best Practices

Issue Management

Use issue templates for consistent bug reports and feature requests
Apply issue types at organization level for consistency
Use sub-issues for breaking down epics (max 8 levels)
Enable advanced search for complex queries
Pin important issues to repository overview

Project Planning

Use Projects V2 for cross-repo tracking
Create multiple views (Board, Table, Roadmap) for different audiences
Set up automation workflows to reduce manual work
Use iteration fields for sprint planning
Leverage custom fields for team-specific metadata

Pull Request Workflow

Use draft PRs for work-in-progress
Enable merge queue for busy repositories
Require status checks before merge
Use CODEOWNERS for automatic reviewer assignment
Batch suggested changes for efficient reviews

Release Management

Use semantic versioning (MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH)
Enable auto-generated release notes
Categorize changes with labels
Create milestones for version planning
Use GitHub Actions for automated releases

CLI & Automation

Set up gh aliases for common operations
Use gh extensions for enhanced workflows
Leverage GitHub Actions for CI/CD
Use MCP servers for AI-powered automation
Create shell scripts for repetitive tasks

10. Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Issue: gh CLI auth fails

# Clear credentials and re-auth
gh auth logout
gh auth login

Issue: Project automation not working

# Check GitHub Actions permissions
# Settings → Actions → General → Workflow permissions
# Enable "Read and write permissions"

Issue: Merge queue stuck

# Check merge queue status
gh api /repos/{owner}/{repo}/merge-queue/{branch}

# Remove item from queue
gh api -X DELETE /repos/{owner}/{repo}/merge-queue/{branch}/items/{item_id}

Issue: Cannot set issue type

# Ensure you have admin:org scope
gh auth refresh -h github.com -s admin:org

# Verify issue type exists
gh api /orgs/{org}/issue-types

References

Last Updated: December 2025 Version: 1.0.0

bug-report

GitHub SDLC Management

When to Use This Skill

1. GitHub Issues (2025 Features)

Latest Features (GA April 2025)

Sub-Issues

Issue Types

Advanced Search

Issue Management Commands

Issue Templates & Forms

2. GitHub Projects V2 (2025)

Custom Fields (Up to 50 per project)

Views

Automation Workflows

Insights & Charts

3. Pull Requests (2025 Features)

New "Files Changed" Experience (Nov 2025)

Merge Queue (GA 2025)

Pull Request Commands

Code Review Features

4. Releases & Milestones

Automated Release Notes (2025)

Release Notes Configuration

Milestones

5. Repository & Branch Management

Repository Operations

Branch Protection Rules

Branch Operations

6. GitHub CLI (gh) Advanced Features

Configuration

Extensions

API Access

Workflows (GitHub Actions)

7. Model Context Protocol (MCP) Integration

GitHub MCP Servers

GitHub Copilot + MCP (GA Aug 2025)

8. Common Workflows & Automation

Issue Triage Workflow

PR Review Reminder

Release Automation

9. Best Practices

Issue Management

Project Planning

Pull Request Workflow

Release Management

CLI & Automation

10. Troubleshooting

Common Issues

References