A structured guide to viewing GitHub PR diffs using the gh pr diff command and related options.

Which diff formats are supported?

Full diff, name-only, and patch formats are supported, with color options and an option to view in the browser via --web.

How do I target a repo other than the current one?

Use --repo OWNER/REPO to specify the target repository when viewing a PR diff.

gh-pr-diff

npx machina-cli add skill dceoy/github-cli-agent-skills/gh-pr-diff --openclaw

Files (1)

SKILL.md

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GitHub PR Diff

When to use

The user asks to see what changed in a PR.
Reviewing code changes before merge.
Getting a list of files changed in a PR.

Inputs to confirm

PR number, URL, or branch name (or current branch PR).
Output format (full diff, name-only, patch).
Target repo if not current (--repo OWNER/REPO).

Workflow

Verify auth:
```
gh --version
gh auth status
```

View the diff:

# Full diff
gh pr diff 123

# List changed files only
gh pr diff 123 --name-only

# Patch format
gh pr diff 123 --patch

Control color output:

gh pr diff 123 --color always
gh pr diff 123 --color never | less

Open in browser for visual diff:
```
gh pr diff 123 --web
```

Examples

# View diff of current branch's PR
gh pr diff

# See only file names changed
gh pr diff 123 --name-only

# Get patch format for applying elsewhere
gh pr diff 123 --patch > changes.patch

# Pipe to less for large diffs
gh pr diff 123 --color always | less -R

Flags reference

Flag	Description
`--color`	Color output: always, never, auto (default: auto)
`--name-only`	Show only names of changed files
`--patch`	Display diff in patch format
`-w, --web`	Open diff in browser

Notes

Without arguments, shows diff for current branch's PR.
Use --name-only for quick overview of scope.
Patch format is useful for cherry-picking or backup.

References

GitHub CLI manual: https://cli.github.com/manual/
gh pr diff --help

Source

git clone https://github.com/dceoy/github-cli-agent-skills/blob/main/skills/gh-pr-diff/SKILL.mdView on GitHub

Overview

gh-pr-diff lets you quickly inspect what changed in a GitHub pull request using the gh CLI. It supports full diffs, file lists, and patch formats, helping reviewers and maintainers understand changes before merging.

How This Skill Works

It uses gh pr diff under the hood to fetch the diff for a PR identified by number, URL, or the current branch. You can request a full diff, a names-only list, or a patch, and optionally target a different repo with --repo.

When to Use It

You want to see what changed in a PR.
You're reviewing code changes before merging.
You need a quick overview of which files were touched.
You want a patch for cherry-picking or backup.
You prefer viewing a visual diff in a browser with --web.

Quick Start

Step 1: Install gh and authenticate with gh --version and gh auth status
Step 2: Identify the PR by number, URL, or current branch
Step 3: Run gh pr diff 123 with your preferred format, e.g. gh pr diff 123 --name-only

Best Practices

Confirm the PR identifier (number, URL, or branch) and target repo when not on the PR's base.
Choose the right diff format with --name-only, --patch, or full diff.
Use gh auth status before diff to ensure access.
Leverage --color and piping to less for large diffs.
Open in browser with --web for a visual diff when needed.

Example Use Cases

View diff of current branch's PR: gh pr diff
Show only changed file names: gh pr diff 123 --name-only
Output a patch for backup: gh pr diff 123 --patch > changes.patch
View diff with color and paginate: gh pr diff 123 --color always | less -R
Open diff in browser for a visual comparison: gh pr diff 123 --web

Frequently Asked Questions

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