GitHub CLI Search

Overview

Search GitHub from the command line using gh search subcommands. The key principle: Always use -- before queries with exclusions to prevent shell interpretation of - prefixes.

When to Use

Use this skill when:

• Searching GitHub via gh CLI for issues, PRs, repos, code, or commits
• User requests searches with exclusions (NOT, minus prefix)
• Constructing complex queries with multiple qualifiers
• Queries contain spaces or special characters

Subcommands Quick Reference

Subcommand	Use For	Common Flags
gh search issues	Issues (add --include-prs for PRs too)	--label, --state, --author, --assignee
gh search prs	Pull requests only	--label, --state, --author, --draft, --merged
gh search repos	Repositories	--language, --stars, --topic, --owner
gh search code	Code within files	--repo, --language, --filename
gh search commits	Commit messages	--repo, --author, --committer

Critical Syntax Rules

1. Exclusions Require -- Flag

Unix/Linux/Mac:

gh search issues -- "bug -label:duplicate"

PowerShell:

gh --% search issues -- "bug -label:duplicate"

Why: The - prefix gets interpreted as a command flag without --. PowerShell needs --% to stop parsing.

2. Quoting Rules

Multi-word queries need quotes:

gh search issues "memory leak"

Entire query with spaces should be quoted:

gh search issues "bug label:urgent created:>2024-01-01"

Qualifier values with spaces need inner quotes:

gh search prs -- 'security label:"bug fix"'

3. Qualifier Syntax

Inline qualifiers (use within search query):

gh search repos "react stars:>1000 language:typescript"

Flag-based (use as separate flags):

gh search repos "react" --language typescript --stars ">1000"

Can mix both:

gh search issues "crash" --label bug created:>2024-01-01

Common Qualifiers

Comparison Operators

• >, >=, <, <= - Numeric: stars:>100, comments:>=5
• .. - Ranges: stars:10..50, created:2024-01-01..2024-12-31

Special Values

• @me - Current user: author:@me, assignee:@me, owner:@me
• Dates use ISO8601: created:>2024-01-01 or created:2024-01-01..2024-12-31

Field-Specific Search

• in:title - Search in title only
• in:body - Search in body only
• in:comments - Search in comments only

Exclusions

• -qualifier:value - Exclude: -label:bug, -language:javascript
• NOT keyword - For words only: "hello NOT world"

Examples

Find your open issues without bug label:

gh search issues -- "is:open author:@me -label:bug"

Find popular Python ML repos updated recently:

gh search repos "machine learning" --language python --stars ">1000" --updated ">2024-01-01"

Find PRs with specific label and text:

gh search prs -- 'security label:"bug fix" created:>2024-01-01'

Search code in organization repos:

gh search code "TODO" --owner myorg --language javascript

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Problem	Fix
gh search issues -label:bug	-label interpreted as flag	Add --: gh search issues -- "-label:bug"
gh search repos machine learning	Searches "machine" OR "learning"	Quote it: "machine learning"
in:title outside quotes	Shell interprets : oddly	Include in query: "crash in:title"
Mixing @ with value	Invalid syntax	Use @me or username, not both: author:@me ✓, author:@username ✗ (drop @)
PowerShell without --%	Parsing breaks with exclusions	Add gh --% before command

Output Options

All subcommands support:

• --limit <n> - Max results (default: 30, max: 1000)
• --json <fields> - JSON output for scripting
• --web - Open results in browser
• --sort <field> - Sort by: comments, created, reactions, updated, stars, etc.
• --order asc|desc - Sort direction (default: desc)

Real-World Impact

Correct syntax prevents:

• Command failures from misinterpreted flags
• Missing results from incorrect exclusions
• Errors from unquoted spaces
• Platform-specific parsing issues