Finishing a Development Branch
obra/superpowers
Walks the last step of a branch: confirm tests pass, detect the git environment, ask how to integrate, carry out your choice and clean up the worktree.
Pre-merge analysis and preparation. An agent skill from sd0xdev/sd0x-harness.
Install Merge Prep
$ npx skills add sd0xdev/sd0x-harness --skill merge-prep -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install sd0xdev/sd0x-harness merge-prep --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/merge-prep .claude/skills/merge-prep && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.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/
Install the "merge-prep" agent skill from https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness/tree/main/skills/merge-prep into .claude/skills/merge-prep/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "merge-prep", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness/tree/main/skills/merge-prepType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add sd0xdev/sd0x-harness --skill merge-prep -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install sd0xdev/sd0x-harness merge-prep --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/merge-prep .agents/skills/merge-prep && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "merge-prep" agent skill from https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness/tree/main/skills/merge-prep into .agents/skills/merge-prep/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "merge-prep", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add sd0xdev/sd0x-harness --skill merge-prep -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install sd0xdev/sd0x-harness merge-prep --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/merge-prep .cursor/skills/merge-prep && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "merge-prep" agent skill from https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness/tree/main/skills/merge-prep into .cursor/skills/merge-prep/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "merge-prep", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness.git --path skills/merge-prep--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add sd0xdev/sd0x-harness --skill merge-prep -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install sd0xdev/sd0x-harness merge-prep --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/merge-prep .gemini/skills/merge-prep && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "merge-prep" agent skill from https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness/tree/main/skills/merge-prep into .gemini/skills/merge-prep/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "merge-prep", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install sd0xdev/sd0x-harness merge-prepInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add sd0xdev/sd0x-harness --skill merge-prep -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/merge-prep .github/skills/merge-prep && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "merge-prep" agent skill from https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness/tree/main/skills/merge-prep into .github/skills/merge-prep/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "merge-prep", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add sd0xdev/sd0x-harness --skill merge-prep -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install sd0xdev/sd0x-harness merge-prep --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/merge-prep .opencode/skills/merge-prep && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "merge-prep" agent skill from https://github.com/sd0xdev/sd0x-harness/tree/main/skills/merge-prep into .opencode/skills/merge-prep/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "merge-prep", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
merge-prep- GitHub stars
- 192
- Token cost
- ~1.4k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 326 words
- Files
- 2 (incl. scripts)
- Skills in repo
- 91
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Pre-merge analysis and preparation. An agent skill from sd0xdev/sd0x-harness.
- Works in 4 steps: Validate Prerequisites → Pre-merge Analysis → Conflict Analysis (if conflicts detected) → …
- : user says merge prep
- SKILL.md covers When NOT to Use, Input, Workflow and Multi-branch Mode, plus 3 more sections
- Runs Shell scripts from its folder; calls git and bash
What it does
Merge Prep is an agent skill from sd0xdev/sd0x-harness. Pre-merge analysis and preparation. Analyzes source branch vs target branch: commit stats, conflict detection, file impact. Analysis-only v1 — outputs report + suggested commands, does not auto-merge. Use when: user says 'merge prep', 'pre-merge', 'merge analysis', or /merge-prep
Its SKILL.md is about 1.4k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 2 other files, including scripts (for example `scripts/pre-merge-check.sh`).
It sits in Development. It works with Git. The repository describes itself as: The harness layer for Claude Code — a reference implementation of harness engineering with hook-enforced dual review, state-machine gates that survive context compaction, and… The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- : user says merge prep
Example prompts
- “merge prep”
- “pre-merge”
- “merge analysis”
- “/merge-prep”
Requirements
- A Bash shell
- Pre-approved tools (allowed-tools): Bash(git:*), Read, Grep, Glob
Workflow steps
4 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit c9a2036. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves these tools, so the agent can use them without asking each time:
Bash(git:*)ReadGrepGlob
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Ships 1 file in scripts/ (Shell), which the agent can run.
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
gitbash
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use 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
Merge Prep loads about 1.4k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 73 tokens; SKILL.md has 326 words of instructions outside code blocks.
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); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from sd0xdev/sd0x-harness at commit c9a2036, republished under its MIT licence (© sd0xdev). 326 words, ~1,369 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/merge-prep/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 1 other file; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- merge-prep
- description
- Pre-merge analysis and preparation. Analyzes source branch vs target branch: commit stats, conflict detection, file impact. Analysis-only v1 — outputs report + suggested commands, does not auto-merge. Use when: user says 'merge prep', 'pre-merge', 'merge analysis', or /merge-prep
- allowed-tools
- Bash(git:*), Read, Grep, Glob
Merge Prep — Pre-merge Analysis and Preparation
Analyze source branch vs target branch, detect conflicts, output analysis report with suggested commands. v1 is analysis-only — does not execute merge/commit/push.
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Commit code (not merge) | /smart-commit |
| Merge to main (production) | Manual PR flow |
| Just view diff | git diff <target>..<branch> |
| Rebase or squash | Manual operation |
Input
/merge-prep <source-branch> [--target <branch>]
<source-branch>: Branch to merge (required)--target: Target branch (default:{TARGET_BRANCH}ormain)
Workflow
sequenceDiagram
participant C as Claude
participant U as User
C->>C: Step 1: Validate prerequisites
C->>C: Step 2: Pre-merge analysis
C->>U: Show analysis report
U->>C: Acknowledge
C->>C: Step 3: Conflict analysis (if any)
C->>U: Show conflict details + resolution suggestions
C->>C: Step 4: Generate merge commands
C->>U: Output commands for manual executionStep 1: Validate Prerequisites
# 1a. Verify source branch exists
git rev-parse --verify <branch>
# 1b. Verify target branch exists
git rev-parse --verify <target>
# 1c. Verify working tree is clean
git status --porcelain| Check | Failure Action |
|---|---|
| Branch doesn't exist | Halt, list available branches |
| Target not found | Halt, suggest creating it |
| Uncommitted changes | Halt, suggest /smart-commit first |
Step 2: Pre-merge Analysis
Run the analysis script:
bash skills/merge-prep/scripts/pre-merge-check.sh <branch> [target]Script outputs JSON containing:
merge_base: Common ancestorsource_commits: New commits on source branchtarget_commits: Commits on target that source doesn't havehas_conflicts: Whether conflicts existconflict_files: List of conflict filesfile_stats: Affected file statistics
Display analysis report:
## Pre-merge Analysis
| Item | Value |
|------|-------|
| Source branch | feat/new-feature |
| Target branch | main |
| Common ancestor | b03ad72a |
| New commits | 12 |
| Affected files | 46 |
| Predicted conflicts | 9 files |
### Recent Commits
| Hash | Message |
|------|---------|
| abc1234 | feat: Add new API endpoint |
| def5678 | test: Add integration tests |Step 3: Conflict Analysis (if conflicts detected)
For each conflict file, analyze commit history to determine conflict pattern:
| Pattern | Detection | Suggested Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Iterative (v1→v3) | Both sides changed, source is superset | Take source |
| Parallel modification | Different people changed different logic | Per-hunk selection |
| Hotfix conflict | Target has hotfix merge, source doesn't | Take target |
| Doc add/add | Both sides added same-name file | Take source |
Display resolution suggestions:
### Conflict Files
| # | File | Pattern | Suggestion | Reason |
|---|------|---------|------------|--------|
| 1 | src/xxx.ts | Iterative | Take source | v3 includes all v1 changes |
| 2 | src/yyy.ts | Parallel | Per-hunk | Two sides changed different functions |
| 3 | docs/zzz.md | add/add | Take source | Target version is outdated |Step 4: Generate Merge Commands
Output commands for manual execution:
## Suggested Merge Commands
### Option A: Merge commit (recommended)
```bash
git checkout <target>
git pull --ff-only origin <target>
git merge <source> --no-ff
# Resolve conflicts if any
# git add <resolved-files>
# git commit
git push origin <target>Option B: Squash merge
git checkout <target>
git pull --ff-only origin <target>
git merge --squash <source>
git commit -m "merge: Merge <source> into <target>"
git push origin <target>
### Step 5: Summary
```markdown
## Merge Summary
| Item | Value |
|------|-------|
| Source | feat/new-feature |
| Target | main |
| Commits | 12 |
| Files | 46 |
| Conflicts | 9 (resolution suggestions provided) |
| Tickets | PROJ-520, PROJ-123 |
⚠️ This is an analysis-only report. Execute the commands manually.Multi-branch Mode
Supports /merge-prep branch1 branch2 branch3 --target develop:
- Analyze each branch sequentially
- Output combined summary
- Suggest merge order (fewest conflicts first)
Prohibited (v1)
- No auto-merge: Only output commands, never execute
git merge - No auto-push: Never execute
git push - No auto-commit: Never execute
git commit - No rebase: Never suggest or execute rebase operations
References
| File | Purpose | When to Read |
|---|---|---|
| pre-merge-check.sh | Pre-merge analysis script | Step 2 |
Verification
- Source branch exists and working tree is clean
- Pre-merge analysis displayed with user acknowledgment
- Conflicts analyzed with resolution suggestions
- Merge commands are output-only (not executed)
- No secrets in output, no force push suggested
© sd0xdev, 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 (scripts) in skills/merge-prep of sd0xdev/sd0x-harness.
- SKILL.md
- scripts/pre-merge-check.sh
Open the folder on GitHubat commit c9a2036
Compare with similar skills
Merge Prep 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.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merge Prep this skillsd0xdev/sd0x-harness | 192 | — | ~1.4k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Finishing a Development Branchobra/superpowers | 296k | 5 repos | ~1.9k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Code Review ChecklistshareAI-lab/learn-claude-code | 78k | 5 repos | ~1.1k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Codebase Knowledge Graph Q&AEgonex-AI/Understand-Anything | 85k | 1 repos | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Code Design Rationale Investigatorcursor/plugins | 10k | 9 repos | ~2.6k | Automated safety check: Pass | None | |
| Understand Diff AnalysisEgonex-AI/Understand-Anything | 85k | 1 repos | ~1.4k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
Similar skills
Code Review Checklist
shareAI-lab/learn-claude-code
Reviews code against a five-part checklist covering security, correctness, performance, maintainability and testing, and reports findings in a fixed format.
Codebase Knowledge Graph Q&A
Egonex-AI/Understand-Anything
Answers questions about a codebase by searching a prebuilt knowledge graph of its files, functions, classes and dependencies, not by rereading every source file.
- Official
Code Design Rationale Investigator
cursor/plugins
Digs into why code is shaped the way it is by checking git history, pull requests and connected tools in parallel, then reporting a cited read on the tradeoffs.
Understand Diff Analysis
Egonex-AI/Understand-Anything
Reads your git changes or a pull request against a prebuilt knowledge graph of the project to explain what changed, which components are affected and what is risky.
Understand Explain
Egonex-AI/Understand-Anything
Gives an in-depth explanation of one file, function or module by reading the project's knowledge graph and checking that the graph is still fresh.
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Questions about Merge Prep
What does Merge Prep do?
Pre-merge analysis and preparation. An agent skill from sd0xdev/sd0x-harness. Merge Prep is an agent skill from sd0xdev/sd0x-harness. Pre-merge analysis and preparation.
When should I use Merge Prep?
Merge Prep fits situations like: : user says merge prep.
How do I install Merge Prep in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add sd0xdev/sd0x-harness --skill merge-prep -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/merge-prep in sd0xdev/sd0x-harness) into .claude/skills/merge-prep in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Merge Prep in Codex?
Run `npx skills add sd0xdev/sd0x-harness --skill merge-prep -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/merge-prep in sd0xdev/sd0x-harness) into .agents/skills/merge-prep in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Merge Prep 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 sd0xdev/sd0x-harness --skill merge-prep -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/merge-prep, .gemini/skills/merge-prep, .github/skills/merge-prep and .opencode/skills/merge-prep in your project.
What does Merge Prep need to run?
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Merge Prep needs a shell for the scripts in its folder and the command-line tools its instructions call (git and bash). Our summary lists: A Bash shell. Its frontmatter pre-approves these tools: Bash(git:*), Read, Grep, Glob.
Does Merge Prep access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use git, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Merge Prep 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. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.
What licence does Merge Prep use?
Merge Prep is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Merge Prep use?
About 1.4k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.5k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.
What are the alternatives to Merge Prep?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Merge Prep: Finishing a Development Branch (obra/superpowers, 296k stars), Code Review Checklist (shareAI-lab/learn-claude-code, 78k stars), Codebase Knowledge Graph Q&A (Egonex-AI/Understand-Anything, 85k stars) and Code Design Rationale Investigator (cursor/plugins, 10k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Merge Prep?
sd0xdev (a GitHub user) maintains it in sd0xdev/sd0x-harness, which has 192 GitHub stars. The repository holds 91 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 6, 2026.
Source: sd0xdev/sd0x-harness on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.