Introduction

Most developers interact with GitHub through a web browser. We open GitHub, create repositories, review pull requests, manage issues, and create releases through the website.

But what if you could perform all those actions directly from your terminal?

That is exactly what GitHub CLI, commonly known as gh, allows you to do.

GitHub CLI is an official command-line tool developed by GitHub that enables developers to work with GitHub without constantly switching between their code editor, terminal, and browser.

By the end of this guide, you will understand:

• What GitHub CLI is


• Why it exists


• How to install it


• How authentication works


• Common commands every developer should know


• Real-world workflows


• Best practices and tips

What is GitHub CLI?

GitHub CLI is a command-line application that lets you interact with GitHub from your terminal.

Instead of visiting:

https://github.com

and clicking through menus, you can perform GitHub operations using commands.

For example:

gh repo create

creates a repository.

gh pr create

creates a pull request.

gh issue create

creates an issue.

gh release create

creates a release.

Why Was GitHub CLI Created?

Before GitHub CLI existed, developers typically had three options:

Option 1: Use the GitHub Website

Pros:

• Easy to understand


• Visual interface

Cons:

• Constant context switching


• Slower for repetitive tasks

Option 2: Use Git Commands

Git commands help manage source control:

git commit

git push

git pull

git branch

However, Git itself does not manage:

• Pull Requests


• Issues


• Releases


• Discussions

These are GitHub features.

Option 3: Use GitHub APIs

GitHub provides APIs.

Example:

curl \

  -H "Authorization: Bearer TOKEN" \

  https://api.github.com/repos/user/project/issues

This works but can become complex.

GitHub CLI bridges this gap.

It provides a simple developer-friendly interface over GitHub APIs.

Git vs GitHub CLI

Many beginners confuse Git and GitHub CLI.

Think of it like this:

Git = Manage code history



GitHub CLI = Manage GitHub platform features

Installing GitHub CLI

Ubuntu

sudo apt update

sudo apt install gh

Verify:

gh --version

Example output:

gh version 2.70.0

macOS

Using Homebrew:

brew install gh

Windows

Using Winget:

winget install GitHub.cli

First-Time Authentication

After installation:

gh auth login

You will see options such as:

? What account do you want to log into?

GitHub.com

Choose:

GitHub.com

Then:

HTTPS

Then:

Login with browser

GitHub CLI will generate a code.

Example:

First copy your one-time code:

ABCD-EFGH

Open the browser and authenticate.

Check Authentication Status

gh auth status

Example:

Logged in to github.com

Creating a Repository

Create a repository directly from the terminal.

gh repo create my-project

Interactive mode will ask:

Public or Private?

Choose your preference.

Cloning a Repository

Traditional Git:

git clone https://github.com/user/project.git

GitHub CLI:

gh repo clone user/project

Example:

gh repo clone octocat/demo

Viewing Repository Information

gh repo view

Example output:

Repository:

user/project



Description:

My project



Stars:

120

Creating Issues

Issues are used to track bugs and feature requests.

Create one:

gh issue create

Interactive prompts appear.

You can also provide everything directly:

gh issue create \

  --title "Login Bug" \

  --body "Users cannot log in"

Listing Issues

gh issue list

Example:

#23 Login Bug

#24 Add Dark Mode

#25 Improve Performance

Viewing a Specific Issue

gh issue view 23

Creating Pull Requests

One of the most powerful features.

After pushing a branch:

git push origin feature/login

Create a PR:

gh pr create

GitHub CLI asks:

Title?

Description?

Base branch?

Then creates the pull request.

Listing Pull Requests

gh pr list

Example:

#45 Add Login Feature

#46 Fix Database Error

Viewing Pull Requests

gh pr view 45

Checking Out a Pull Request

Instead of manually fetching branches:

gh pr checkout 45

This automatically switches to the PR branch.

Reviewing Pull Requests

Approve:

gh pr review 45 --approve

Request changes:

gh pr review 45 --request-changes

Comment:

gh pr review 45 --comment

Merging Pull Requests

gh pr merge 45

Options:

gh pr merge 45 --merge

gh pr merge 45 --squash

gh pr merge 45 --rebase

Working with Releases

A release is a published version of software.

Example:

v1.0.0

v1.1.0

v2.0.0

Create a Release

gh release create v1.0.0

Add Release Notes

gh release create v1.0.0 \

  --notes "Initial release"

Upload Files

gh release create v1.0.0 \

  dist/app.tar.gz

This is likely what happened in your project.

Your Makefile probably executes something similar to:

gh release create \

  v1.0.0 \

  dist/registry-data-v1.0.0.tar.gz

Without GitHub CLI installed, that step fails.

Viewing Releases

gh release list

Example:

v1.0.0

v1.1.0

v2.0.0

Download Release Assets

gh release download v1.0.0

Working with GitHub Actions

View workflows:

gh workflow list

View workflow runs:

gh run list

Inspect a run:

gh run view

Watch live logs:

gh run watch

Working with Gists

Create a gist:

gh gist create notes.txt

List gists:

gh gist list

Useful Commands Every Developer Should Know

Authentication

gh auth login

gh auth status

gh auth logout

Repositories

gh repo create

gh repo clone

gh repo view

Issues

gh issue create

gh issue list

gh issue view

Pull Requests

gh pr create

gh pr list

gh pr view

gh pr checkout

gh pr merge

Releases

gh release create

gh release list

gh release view

Real-World Example Workflow

Imagine you are implementing a feature.

Step 1

Create a branch:

git checkout -b feature/payment

Step 2

Write code.

Step 3

Commit changes:

git add .

git commit -m "Add payment support"

Step 4

Push:

git push origin feature/payment

Step 5

Create PR:

gh pr create

Step 6

Review PR:

gh pr view

Step 7

Merge:

gh pr merge

Step 8

Create Release:

gh release create v1.0.0

Entire workflow completed without opening GitHub in a browser.

Advantages of GitHub CLI

Faster Workflow

No browser switching.

Automation Friendly

Perfect for scripts and CI/CD pipelines.

Consistent Interface

Everything from one terminal.

Developer Productivity

Reduces repetitive work.

Official Tool

Maintained by GitHub.

When Should You Use GitHub CLI?

Use GitHub CLI if you:

• Work with GitHub daily


• Create pull requests frequently


• Manage releases


• Handle issues regularly


• Build automation scripts


• Work in DevOps or platform engineering

Common Beginner Mistakes

Forgetting Authentication

gh auth login

must be completed first.

Confusing Git with GitHub CLI

Remember:

Git manages code history.



GitHub CLI manages GitHub features.

Missing Permissions

Your GitHub account must have permissions for the repository.

Not Updating GitHub CLI

Keep it updated:

sudo apt update

sudo apt upgrade gh

Summary

GitHub CLI (gh) is GitHub's official command-line tool that allows developers to manage repositories, issues, pull requests, releases, workflows, and many other GitHub features directly from the terminal.

For a junior developer, learning GitHub CLI provides several benefits:

• Faster development workflows


• Less dependence on the browser


• Easier automation


• Better understanding of GitHub operations


• Improved productivity in professional software teams

If you're already comfortable with commands like:

git add

git commit

git push

then learning:

gh pr create

gh issue create

gh release create

is the next natural step toward becoming a more efficient developer.