
PR Writer
FreeStreamline your pull request descriptions and titles.
Free · Opens the source repo
What PR Writer does
PR Writer is a bash-based skill designed to assist developers in creating and updating pull request (PR) titles and descriptions. This tool focuses on writing reviewer-facing content that clearly outlines the changes made in a branch, rather than serving as a changelog or summary of file modifications. By utilizing the GitHub CLI (gh), it inspects the current branch, working tree, and existing PRs to generate concise and informative descriptions that enhance the review process.
The skill operates by first checking the current branch and its status, then retrieving relevant details about the PR and the base branch. It ensures that all intended changes are committed before reviewing the entire branch diff. This approach allows developers to present a clear narrative of the changes, emphasizing the impact on the reviewer and the rationale behind the modifications. The PR Writer follows a set of core rules that guide the structure and content of the titles and bodies, ensuring clarity and relevance.
For titles, PR Writer adheres to a specific format that includes the type of change and a brief subject. It allows for a variety of change types, such as features, fixes, and documentation updates, ensuring that the title accurately reflects the primary change. The body of the PR is shaped based on the nature of the change, providing just enough detail to inform the reviewer without overwhelming them with unnecessary information. This skill is particularly useful for teams that prioritize clear communication and efficient code reviews, helping to reduce the cognitive load on reviewers.
Overall, PR Writer is an essential tool for developers looking to improve their PR documentation process. By automating the creation and update of PR titles and descriptions, it helps maintain high standards of clarity and consistency, ultimately leading to more effective code reviews and better collaboration within development teams.
When to use it
Use PR Writer when opening a new PR or updating an existing one to ensure clear communication of changes to reviewers.
When not to use it
Avoid using this skill for informal or personal projects where PR structure is less critical, or for changes that do not require detailed descriptions.
What you can build with it
Creating a New PR
When opening a new pull request, PR Writer generates a clear title and description based on the changes made in the branch.
Updating an Existing PR
If the scope of an existing pull request changes, PR Writer can refresh the title and body to reflect the new context.
Maintaining Consistency in PRs
For teams that prioritize documentation, PR Writer ensures that all pull requests follow a consistent format and structure.
How to install PR Writer
View source1. Install with the skills CLI
npx skills add getsentry/skills/pr-writer --agent claude-code2. Or install it manually
Download the skill folder and drop it into ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or .claude/skills/ to scope it to one repo. Restart Claude Code so it picks up the new skill.
Anthropic's agentic coding CLI, and the reference implementation of Agent Skills. Drop a skill folder into ~/.claude/skills and Claude Code loads it automatically whenever a task matches the skill's description. Claude Code docs
Inside SKILL.md
Written by getsentryPR Writer
Write the PR body as a cover note for reviewers, not a changelog, template, validation log, or file-by-file summary.
Inspect the Change
Requires authenticated gh. Inspect the current branch, working tree, PR,
base branch, commits, and full diff:
git branch --show-current
git status --porcelain
gh pr view --json number,title,body,url,baseRefName,headRefName
gh repo view --json defaultBranchRef
If gh pr view reports that no PR exists, continue with first-time PR
creation. For an existing PR, use its baseRefName; otherwise use the
repository default branch. Set BASE, then inspect:
git log "$BASE"..HEAD --oneline
git diff "$BASE"...HEAD
If on main or master, create a feature branch first. Ensure intended
changes are committed and review the whole branch diff, not only the latest
commit or existing PR text.
Core Rules
- Describe concrete changed behavior, affected surfaces, and reviewer impact before implementation detail.
- Explain motivation, risk, tradeoffs, migration, or review focus only when useful.
- Use the smallest structure that makes the change easier to review.
- Replace internal prompt or process terminology with specific behavior.
- When refreshing a PR, rewrite around the current full diff without narrating review history.
Titles
Use <type>(<scope>): <subject> or <type>: <subject>.
Allowed types: feat, fix, ref, perf, docs, test, build,
ci, chore, style, meta, license, and revert.
- Describe the dominant full-branch change with the narrowest accurate type and scope.
- Use
!only when the change breaks an external contract, and explain the affected surface in the body. - Avoid vague subjects such as
update,cleanup,misc,fix stuff, oraddress feedback. Do not add a trailing period. - Keep an existing title only when it still describes the whole diff.
Body Shape
Choose the minimum useful shape:
| Change | Include |
|---|---|
| Small or obvious | One concise paragraph without headings. |
| Feature, bug fix, or refactor | Changed behavior and effect; add root cause, unchanged behavior, or non-obvious approach when relevant. |
| Contract or breaking change | Affected API, schema, payload, config, permission, storage, or CLI surface; include compatibility and migration guidance. |
| Operational, visual, or workflow change | User/operator effect, measured impact, failure modes, or flow when useful. |
| Broad, generated, or cross-cutting change | Organizing principle, why the breadth is necessary, and where review should start. |
Default:
<What changed and what effect it has.>
<Why the approach, risk, migration, or review focus matters, if not obvious.>
For review-feedback updates, describe the resulting PR as a whole rather than the sequence of revisions.
Reviewer Aids
Use an aid only when it reduces reviewer reconstruction work:
- A compact before/after or interface example for changed contracts.
- A small Mermaid diagram for async flows or state transitions.
- A screenshot or recording note when visual evidence exists.
- A rollout, compatibility, risk, or review-order note when reviewers or adopters need it.
Introduce an artifact with one sentence explaining what reviewers should notice. Omit it when prose is clearer.
Boundaries
- Do not add default
Summary,Changes, orTest Plansections. - Omit routine validation unless it changes risk assessment or explains meaningful regression coverage. For docs, skills, copy, or config changes, omit it by default.
- Do not paste commands, CI logs, validation dumps, commit logs, placeholders, or exhaustive file lists.
- Never include customer or organization names, user emails, support ticket contents, secrets, or PII.
- Use issue references only when verified from user input, branch names,
commits, PR discussion, or tracker output.
Fixes <issue>closes;Refs <issue>only links.
Create or Update
Create new PRs as drafts. Write the body to a temporary Markdown file, then run:
gh pr create --draft --title '<title>' --body-file /tmp/pr-body.md
Update existing PRs with gh api:
gh api -X PATCH repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/PR_NUMBER \
-f title='<title>' \
-F body=@/tmp/pr-body.md
Refresh the title and body when follow-up commits materially change scope, approach, breaking behavior, risk, migration, or review expectations. Skip typo-only, formatting-only, and rename-only follow-ups.
Examples
Small change:
The AI Customizations section now starts collapsed so it does not consume
sidebar space before users need it. Expanding it preserves the existing saved
preference behavior.
Breaking contract:
Run logs now emit chunk-level records instead of one skill-level record.
Consumers that read top-level `findings` must iterate over
`chunk.findings` for each record.
Before:
```json
{"skill": "security-review", "findings": [...]}
```
After:
```json
{"schemaVersion": 1, "chunk": {"index": 1, "findings": [...]}}
```
Frequently asked questions about PR Writer
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