Agent skill
github-project
GitHub repository setup and configuration. This skill should be used when creating new GitHub repositories, configuring branch protection or rulesets, setting up CODEOWNERS, or troubleshooting PR merge issues. By Netresearch.
Install this agent skill to your Project
npx add-skill https://github.com/majiayu000/claude-skill-registry/tree/main/skills/other/github-project
SKILL.md
GitHub Project Skill
GitHub repository setup, configuration, and best practices for collaboration workflows.
Core Workflow
To set up or configure a GitHub repository, follow these steps:
- Consult the appropriate reference for your task
- Copy and customize the relevant asset templates
- Run
scripts/verify-github-project.shto validate configuration - Apply settings via GitHub UI or
ghCLI
Using Reference Documentation
Repository Setup
When setting up repository structure, consult references/repository-structure.md for standard file layout, required documentation files, and directory conventions.
When migrating from master to main branch, consult references/branch-migration.md for step-by-step migration commands and branch protection updates.
Dependency Management
When configuring automated dependency updates, consult references/dependency-management.md for Dependabot and Renovate configuration patterns, auto-merge workflows, and update strategies.
GitHub Features
When working with sub-issues, consult references/sub-issues.md for GraphQL API usage, parent-child relationships, and issue hierarchy patterns.
When setting up automatic release labeling, consult references/release-labeling.md for PR labeling workflows, release categorization, and changelog automation.
Running Scripts
Repository Verification
To verify GitHub project configuration against best practices:
scripts/verify-github-project.sh /path/to/repository
This script checks:
- Repository documentation (README, LICENSE, SECURITY.md)
- Collaboration setup (CODEOWNERS, issue/PR templates)
- Dependency automation (Dependabot/Renovate, auto-merge)
- Release configuration
Using Asset Templates
Repository Documentation
To set up CODEOWNERS for code review assignments, copy assets/CODEOWNERS.template to .github/CODEOWNERS.
To add contribution guidelines, copy assets/CONTRIBUTING.md.template to CONTRIBUTING.md.
To configure security vulnerability reporting, copy assets/SECURITY.md.template to SECURITY.md.
Issue and PR Templates
To add a bug report template, copy assets/bug_report.md.template to .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/bug_report.md.
To add a feature request template, copy assets/feature_request.md.template to .github/ISSUE_TEMPLATE/feature_request.md.
To standardize PR descriptions, copy assets/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md.template to .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md.
Dependency Automation
To configure Dependabot, copy assets/dependabot.yml.template to .github/dependabot.yml.
To configure Renovate, copy assets/renovate.json.template to renovate.json.
Auto-Merge Workflows
To enable basic auto-merge for dependency updates, copy assets/auto-merge.yml.template to .github/workflows/auto-merge.yml.
To enable auto-merge with direct commits (no merge queue), copy assets/auto-merge-direct.yml.template to .github/workflows/auto-merge.yml.
To enable auto-merge with merge queue support, copy assets/auto-merge-queue.yml.template to .github/workflows/auto-merge.yml.
Release Automation
To set up automatic release labeling for PRs, copy assets/release-labeler.yml.template to .github/workflows/release-labeler.yml.
Go Project CI Checklist
When setting up CI for Go projects, ensure these GitHub configurations:
| Setting | Purpose | How |
|---|---|---|
| Branch protection | Require tests pass before merge | Branch settings or Rulesets |
| Dependabot/Renovate | Automated dependency updates | .github/dependabot.yml or renovate.json |
| Auto-merge workflow | Merge minor/patch updates automatically | assets/auto-merge*.yml templates |
| Required checks | CI workflow names in branch protection | Match exact workflow job names |
Merge Strategy & Signed Commits
When configuring repositories that require signed commits with clean history, consult references/merge-strategy.md for the recommended settings.
Quick Reference
For signed commits workflow (rebase locally + merge commit):
| Repository Setting | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
allow_merge_commit |
true | Preserves signatures on feature branch commits |
allow_rebase_merge |
true | GitHub requires at least one of squash/rebase |
allow_squash_merge |
false | Destroys individual commit signatures |
| Branch Protection | Value | Why |
|---|---|---|
required_signatures |
true | Enforces GPG/SSH signed commits |
required_linear_history |
false | Must be false - conflicts with merge commits |
Workflow
# 1. Developer rebases PR branch locally (signs commits)
git fetch origin && git rebase origin/main
git push --force-with-lease
# 2. Merge via merge commit (preserves signatures)
gh pr merge <number> --merge
Auto-Merge Compatibility
| Merge Strategy | Works with required_signatures? |
|---|---|
| Merge commit | ✅ Yes - GitHub signs the merge commit |
| Rebase merge | ❌ No - GitHub cannot sign rewritten commits |
| Squash merge | ❌ No - GitHub cannot sign squashed commit |
Important: When enabling auto-merge, select "Create a merge commit" strategy.
Related Skills
When implementing Go code patterns and CI/CD workflows, use the go-development skill.
When implementing OpenSSF Scorecard, SLSA provenance, or signed releases, use the enterprise-readiness skill.
When establishing Git branching strategies or conventional commits, use the git-workflow skill.
When conducting deep security audits (OWASP, CVE analysis), use the security-audit skill.
External Resources
When understanding GitHub Actions syntax, consult the GitHub Actions Documentation.
When configuring branch protection, consult the GitHub Branch Protection Guide.
When setting up Dependabot, consult the Dependabot Documentation.
Contributing: https://github.com/netresearch/github-project-skill
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