glab — an agent skill by henricook

Expert guidance for using the GitLab CLI (glab) to manage GitLab issues, merge requests, CI/CD pipelines, repositories, and other GitLab operations from the command line. Use this skill when the user needs to interact with GitLab resources or perform GitLab workflows.

GitLab CLI (glab) Skill Provides guidance for using glab , the official GitLab CLI, to perform GitLab operations from the terminal. When to Use This Skill Invoke when the user needs to: Create, review, or manage merge requests Work with GitLab issues Monitor or trigger CI/CD pipelines Clone or manage repositories Perform any GitLab operation from the command line Prerequisites Verify glab installation before executing commands: If not installed, inform the user and provide platform specific installation guidance. Authentication Quick Start Most glab operations require authentication: Core Workflows Creating a Merge Request Reviewing Merge Requests Managing Issues Monitoring CI/CD Common Patterns Working Outside Repository Context When not in a Git repository, specify the repository: Self Hosted GitLab Set hostname for all commands: Automation and Scripting Use JSON output for parsing: Using the API Command The glab api command provides direct GitLab API access: Best Practices 1. Verify authentication before executing commands: glab auth status 2. Use help to explore command options: glab <command help 3. Link MRs to issues using "Closes 123" in MR description 4. Lint CI config before pushing: glab ci lint 5. Check repository context when commands fail: git remote v Common Commands Quick Reference Merge Requests: glab mr list assignee=@me Your assigned MRs glab mr list reviewer=@me MRs for you to review glab mr create Create new MR glab mr checkout <number Test MR locally glab mr approve <number Approve MR glab mr merge <number Merge approved MR Issues: glab issue list List all issues glab issue create Create new issue glab issue close <number Close issue CI/CD: glab pipeline ci view Watch pipeline glab ci status Check status glab ci lint Validate .gitlab ci.yml glab ci retry Retry failed pipeline Repository: glab repo clone owner/repo Clone repository glab repo view View repo details glab repo fork Fork repository Progressive Disclosure For detailed command documentation, refer to: references/commands detailed.md Comprehensive command reference with all flags and options references/quick reference.md Condensed command cheat sheet references/troubleshooting.md Detailed error scenarios and solutions Load these references when: User needs specific flag or option details Troubleshooting authentication or connection issues Working with advanced features (API, schedules, variables, etc.) Common Issues Quick Fixes "command not found: glab" Install glab or verify PATH "401 Unauthorized" Run glab auth login "404 Project Not Found" Verify repository name and access permissions "not a git repository" Navigate to repo or use R owner/repo flag "source branch already has a merge request" Use glab mr list to find existing MR For detailed troubleshooting, load references/troubleshooting.md . Notes glab auto detects repository context from Git remote Most commands have web flag to open in browser Use output=json for scripting and automation Multiple GitLab accounts can be authenticated simultaneously Commands respect Git configuration and current repository context