New: 97,000+ skills indexed from GitHub repos with 100+ stars · every skill safety-checkedBrowse top skillsTop skills
Esc to closeBrowse all skills
Submit a skillBrowse skills
Submit a skillBrowse skills

Agent skill

Pull Request Description Writer

by basicmachines-co in basicmachines-co/basic-memory

Drafts and applies a structured GitHub pull request description covering why, what changed, implementation, testing and remaining risks.

MITAuto-check passedDevelopment

Install Pull Request Description Writer

skills CLI
$ npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory --skill pr-description -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install basicmachines-co/basic-memory pr-description --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/basicmachines-co/basic-memory.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/.agents/skills/pr-description .claude/skills/pr-description && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
pr-description
GitHub stars
4.1k
Token cost
~482 tokens
SKILL.md length
183 words
Files
2 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
49
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Drafts and applies a structured GitHub pull request description covering why, what changed, implementation, testing and remaining risks.

  • Works in 5 steps: What changed? → Why did we make this change now? → How was it implemented? → …
  • Opening a new pull request that needs a proper description
  • SKILL.md covers When to Use, Goals, Workflow and Commands, plus 3 more sections
  • Calls gh and git

What it does

The agent works out which PR belongs to the current branch with `gh pr view`, reads the changed files and commits to understand intent, writes a structured body, applies it to the PR and then opens the PR view again to confirm the body and labels. The body follows a template in `references/pr-body-template.md` with five required sections: Why, What Changed, Implementation Details, Testing, and Risks / Follow-ups.

Quality rules ask for specifics, such as named files, routes, scripts and commands, and for tradeoffs and constraints rather than mechanics alone. The Testing section must list the exact commands run and their outcomes, and anything untested has to be stated. Optional sections cover screenshots for interface work, rollout notes when release order matters, and a reviewer guide for large diffs.

When your agent uses it

  • Opening a new pull request that needs a proper description
  • Rewriting a stale or one-line PR description
  • Recording why a change was made so future debugging has context

Example prompts

  • “Write the PR description for my current branch and update the open pull request.”
  • “The description on this PR is just a title, rewrite it with testing details and risks.”
  • “Add a reviewer guide section to the PR body because the diff touches many files.”

Requirements

  • GitHub CLI (`gh`) authenticated for the repository

Workflow steps

5 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. What changed?
  2. Why did we make this change now?
  3. How was it implemented?
  4. How was it tested?
  5. What risks or follow-ups remain?

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 6982cfc. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • gh
    • git

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use gh and git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Pull Request Description Writer loads about 482 tokens when it runs, and up to ~610 if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 45 tokens; SKILL.md has 183 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~45
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~482
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~610

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from basicmachines-co/basic-memory at commit 6982cfc, republished under its MIT licence (© basicmachines-co). 183 words, ~482 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/pr-description/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
pr-description
description
Use when opening or updating a GitHub PR - writes a detailed PR description that explains what changed, why it changed, how it was implemented, and how it was tested.
license
MIT

PR Description Writer

Create and publish high-quality PR descriptions that help reviewers understand intent, implementation details, and verification steps.

When to Use

  • Opening a new PR
  • Refreshing a stale or minimal PR description
  • Capturing implementation rationale for future debugging

Goals

Every PR body should clearly answer:

  1. What changed?
  2. Why did we make this change now?
  3. How was it implemented?
  4. How was it tested?
  5. What risks or follow-ups remain?

Workflow

  1. Discover PR context and changed files.
  2. Extract intent from commit(s) and code changes.
  3. Draft a structured PR body.
  4. Apply the body to the PR.
  5. Re-open the PR view and confirm body/labels.

Commands

bash
# Identify the active PR for current branch
gh pr view --json number,title,url,baseRefName,headRefName

# Inspect changed files and patch summary
gh pr diff --name-only
gh pr diff

# Review commit messages for intent
git log --oneline --decorate -n 10

# Apply updated body
gh pr edit <pr-number> --body-file /tmp/pr-body.md

Body Structure

Use the template in references/pr-body-template.md.

Required sections:

  • ## Why
  • ## What Changed
  • ## Implementation Details
  • ## Testing
  • ## Risks / Follow-ups

Quality Bar

  • Be specific: name concrete files, routes, scripts, and commands.
  • Explain tradeoffs and constraints, not just mechanics.
  • Testing section must include exact commands run and outcomes.
  • If something is not tested, state it explicitly.

Optional Enhancements

  • Add ## Screenshots for UI work.
  • Add ## Rollout Notes when release sequencing matters.
  • Add ## Reviewer Guide for large diffs.

© basicmachines-co, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 1 other file (references) in .agents/skills/pr-description of basicmachines-co/basic-memory.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/pr-body-template.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 6982cfc

Compare with similar skills

Pull Request Description Writer next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Pull Request Description Writer compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Pull Request Description Writer this skillbasicmachines-co/basic-memory4.1k—~482Automated safety check: PassMIT
PR Babysitteropeninterpreter/openinterpreter69k3 repos~4.2kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Check PRonyx-dot-app/onyx32k2 repos~2.3kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Contributor-First PR MergeHKUDS/OpenHarness16k1 repos~847Automated safety check: PassMIT
Create Pull Requestcline/cline70k1 repos~1.6kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Pull Request Title and Body Writeropeninterpreter/openinterpreter69k2 repos~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0

Similar skills

  • PR Babysitter

    openinterpreter/openinterpreter

    Watches an open GitHub pull request until it merges, handling review comments, diagnosing CI failures and retrying flaky checks along the way.

    69k GitHub starsUsed in 3 repos~4.2k tokens
    DevelopmentAuto-check passed

  • Check PR

    onyx-dot-app/onyx

    Checks a GitHub, GitLab, or Perforce (p4) pull request (or merge request, or shelved changelist) for unresolved review comments, failing status checks, and incomplete PR descriptions.

    32k GitHub starsUsed in 2 repos~2.3k tokens
    DevelopmentAuto-check passed

  • Contributor-First PR Merge

    HKUDS/OpenHarness

    Merges external GitHub pull requests while keeping the original author credited, and fixes conflicts after the merge instead of rewriting the contribution.

    16k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~847 tokens
    DevelopmentAuto-check passed

  • Create Pull Request

    cline/cline

    Opens a GitHub pull request from your current branch with the gh CLI, after reviewing the commits and diff and gathering the details the PR needs.

    70k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.6k tokens
    DevelopmentAuto-check passed

  • Pull Request Title and Body Writer

    openinterpreter/openinterpreter

    Rewrites the title and body of one or more pull requests with gh, leading with why the change was made, then what changed, and describing only the net result.

    69k GitHub starsUsed in 2 repos~1.1k tokens
    DevelopmentAuto-check passed

  • GitHub Review Iteration

    prisma/orm

    Official

    Runs a loop on a GitHub pull request: fetch review state, triage comments into actions, implement them and resolve threads, repeating until nothing actionable is left.

    48k GitHub stars~2.2k tokensUpdated today
    DevelopmentAuto-check passed

More from basicmachines-co/basic-memory

All 49 skills in this repo

  • cmux Settings Editor

    basicmachines-co/basic-memory

    Views, sets, unsets and validates cmux settings in ~/.config/cmux/cmux.json with a helper script that checks keys against the schema.

    4.1k GitHub starsUsed in 1 repo~1.3k tokens
    Auto-check passed

  • cmux Window and Pane Control

    basicmachines-co/basic-memory

    End-user control of cmux topology and routing (windows, workspaces, panes/surfaces, focus, moves, reorder, identify, trigger flash). Use when automation needs…

    4.1k GitHub starsUsed in 2 repos~842 tokens
    Auto-check passed

  • Cmux Markdown Viewer Panel

    basicmachines-co/basic-memory

    Opens markdown files in a formatted cmux panel beside the terminal that re-renders on every change, handy for plans and task lists.

    4.1k GitHub starsUsed in 2 repos~527 tokens
    Auto-check passed

  • cmux Workspace Scoping

    basicmachines-co/basic-memory

    Keeps agent actions scoped to the cmux workspace and terminal that invoked it, and lays out pane and surface commands that avoid disrupting the user's own focus.

    4.1k GitHub starsUsed in 2 repos~1.7k tokens
    Auto-check passed

  • Basic Memory Repo Images

    basicmachines-co/basic-memory

    Produces PR, changelog and two-week retro images for the Basic Memory repository from evidence in PR bodies, saved to fixed paths under docs/assets/infographics.

    4.1k GitHub stars~2.7k tokensUpdated today
    Auto-check passed

  • Logfire Instrumentation

    basicmachines-co/basic-memory

    Adds Pydantic Logfire tracing, logging and metrics to Python, JavaScript or TypeScript and Rust projects, with the correct setup order and library extras.

    4.1k GitHub stars~2.3k tokensUpdated today
    Auto-check passed

Works with

Categories

Questions about Pull Request Description Writer

What does Pull Request Description Writer do?

Drafts and applies a structured GitHub pull request description covering why, what changed, implementation, testing and remaining risks. The agent works out which PR belongs to the current branch with `gh pr view`, reads the changed files and commits to understand intent, writes a structured body, applies it to the PR and then opens the PR view again to confirm the body and labels.md` with five required sections: Why, What Changed, Implementation Details, Testing, and Risks / Follow-ups.

When should I use Pull Request Description Writer?

Pull Request Description Writer fits situations like: opening a new pull request that needs a proper description; rewriting a stale or one-line PR description; recording why a change was made so future debugging has context.

How do I install Pull Request Description Writer in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory --skill pr-description -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/pr-description in basicmachines-co/basic-memory) into .claude/skills/pr-description in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Pull Request Description Writer in Codex?

Run `npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory --skill pr-description -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (.agents/skills/pr-description in basicmachines-co/basic-memory) into .agents/skills/pr-description in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Pull Request Description Writer in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add basicmachines-co/basic-memory --skill pr-description -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/pr-description, .gemini/skills/pr-description, .github/skills/pr-description and .opencode/skills/pr-description in your project.

What does Pull Request Description Writer need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Pull Request Description Writer needs the command-line tools its instructions call (gh and git). Our summary lists: GitHub CLI (`gh`) authenticated for the repository.

Does Pull Request Description Writer access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use gh and git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Pull Request Description Writer safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Pull Request Description Writer use?

Pull Request Description Writer is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Pull Request Description Writer use?

About 482 tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 1.9k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 128 tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Pull Request Description Writer?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Pull Request Description Writer: PR Babysitter (openinterpreter/openinterpreter, 69k stars), Check PR (onyx-dot-app/onyx, 32k stars), Contributor-First PR Merge (HKUDS/OpenHarness, 16k stars) and Create Pull Request (cline/cline, 70k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Pull Request Description Writer?

basicmachines-co (a GitHub organization) maintains it in basicmachines-co/basic-memory, which has 4,107 GitHub stars. The repository holds 49 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 7, 2026.

Source: basicmachines-co/basic-memory on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.