Update Pull Request

Update the description of an existing GitHub pull request for the current branch.

Arguments

$ARGUMENTS can be used for:

• --title flag: Include to also update the PR title
• Special instructions (same as create-pr):
  • Guiding the summary: "emphasize the performance improvements"
  • Adding context: "this PR now also includes the auth fixes"
  • Any other guidance for the updated description

Step 1: Find the Existing PR

1. Get current branch and PR info:

   gh pr view --json number,title,body,url,headRefName,state
   

Important checks:

• If no PR exists for the current branch, fail and inform the user to use /create-pr instead
• If the PR is merged or closed, fail and inform the user the PR is no longer open

Step 2: Gather Current State

Run these commands in parallel to understand the full state:

1. Uncommitted changes: git status --porcelain
2. All commits on branch: git log origin/main..HEAD --oneline
3. File changes summary: git diff --stat origin/main..HEAD
4. Full diff: git diff origin/main..HEAD
5. Repo info: gh repo view --json nameWithOwner -q '.nameWithOwner' (for constructing file URLs)

Important checks:

• If uncommitted changes exist, warn the user and ask if they want to commit first

Step 3: Analyze and Categorize Changes

By Change Type (from commits and diff)

• ✨ Added: New files, features, capabilities
• 🔧 Changed: Modified existing functionality
• 🗑️ Removed: Deleted files or features
• 🐛 Fixed: Bug fixes
• 📚 Docs: Documentation updates
• 🧪 Tests: Test additions/modifications

Identify Attention Areas

Flag for special reviewer attention:

• Files with significant changes (>100 lines)
• Changes to base classes, interfaces, or public API
• New dependencies (pyproject.toml, requirements.txt)
• Configuration schema changes
• Security-related changes

Step 4: Update the PR

1. Push any new commits (if needed):

   git push
   

2. Generate updated description using the same template as create-pr (see below)

3. Update the PR body:

   gh pr edit <number> --body "$(cat <<'EOF'
   <body>
   EOF
   )"
   

4. Optionally update title (if --title flag was provided):

   gh pr edit <number> --title "<new-title>"
   

5. Return the PR URL to the user.

PR Description Template

Use the same template as create-pr, with an updated footer:

## Summary

[1-2 sentence overview of what this PR accomplishes]

## Changes

### Added
- [New features/files - link to key files when helpful]

### Changed
- [Modified functionality - reference commits for specific changes]

### Removed
- [Deleted items]

### Fixed
- [Bug fixes - if applicable]

## Attention Areas

> Reviewers: Please pay special attention to the following:

- [`path/to/critical/file.py`](https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>/blob/<branch>/path/to/critical/file.py) - [Why this needs attention]

---
*Description updated with AI*

Section Guidelines

• Summary: Always include - be concise and focus on the "why"
• Changes: Group by type, omit empty sections
• Attention Areas: Only include if there are genuinely important items; omit for simple PRs
• Links: Include links to code and commits where helpful for reviewers:
  • File links require full URLs - relative paths don't work in PR descriptions
  • Link to a file: [filename](https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>/blob/<branch>/path/to/file.py)
  • Link to specific lines: [description](https://github.com/<owner>/<repo>/blob/<branch>/path/to/file.py#L42-L50)
  • Use the branch name in the URL so links point to the PR's version of files
  • Reference commits: abc1234 - GitHub auto-links short commit SHAs in PR descriptions

Edge Cases

• No PR exists for current branch: Fail and inform user to use /create-pr instead
• PR is merged/closed: Fail and inform user the PR is no longer open
• Uncommitted work: Warn and ask before proceeding
• No new changes since PR creation: Still allow update - user may want to rewrite the description
• Large PRs (>20 files): Summarize by directory/module

Key Differences from /create-pr

Aspect	/create-pr	/update-pr
PR state	Creates new	Updates existing
Command	gh pr create	gh pr edit
First step	Check for commits	Find existing PR
Branch push	With -u flag	Simple push
Title	Always sets	Optional (with --title)
Footer	"Generated with AI"	"Description updated with AI"