Frontmatter
{
"name": "graphite",
"metadata": {
"internal": true
},
"triggers": [
"graphite",
"stacked PRs",
"dependent PRs",
"chained PRs",
"PR stack",
"gt create",
"gt modify",
"gt submit",
"gt sync",
"gt restack",
"gt log",
"gt checkout",
"rebase my stack",
"fix stack conflicts",
"split PR",
"land my stack",
"merge stack",
"sync with main",
"sync with trunk",
"reorder branches",
"fold commits",
"amend stack",
"move branch to different parent",
"stack out of date"
],
"invocation": "user",
"description": "Manage stacked PRs with Graphite CLI (gt) instead of git for branch\/PR operations.\nAuto-detects Graphite repos via .git\/.graphite_repo_config.\nUse when: creating stacked PRs, navigating branches, submitting PRs, syncing with main,\nrestacking after changes, or any gt command usage.\n"
}
Graphite Stacked PRs
Use Graphite CLI (gt) instead of raw git for all branch and PR operations in Graphite-initialized repos.
Detection
A repo is Graphite-initialized if .git/.graphite_repo_config exists. When detected, prefer gt over git for branch/PR workflows.
MCP Tools
The Graphite MCP server (gt mcp) is available. Use the learn_gt and run_gt_cmd tools when available:
learn_gt — look up gt command documentation
run_gt_cmd — execute gt commands directly
Key Concepts
- A stack is a sequence of PRs, each building on its parent
- Each PR must be atomic — self-contained and CI-green independently
- Stacks are visualized with trunk at the BOTTOM:
- Up/Upstack = away from trunk toward leaves
- Down/Downstack = toward trunk/main
PR #3 (top)
|
PR #2
|
PR #1
|
main (trunk)
Command Reference
Branch Navigation
| Command |
Description |
gt checkout [branch] |
Switch branches (interactive picker if no arg) |
gt co main |
Switch to trunk |
gt up [steps] |
Navigate to child branch |
gt down [steps] |
Navigate to parent branch |
gt top |
Jump to top of stack |
gt bottom |
Jump to trunk-closest branch |
Creating & Modifying Branches
| Command |
Description |
gt create -a -m "message" |
Create new branch with staged changes |
gt c --no-interactive -m "message" |
Create new branch (non-interactive) |
gt modify --no-interactive |
Amend current commit |
gt m --no-interactive |
Short form: amend current commit |
gt modify -a |
Amend with staged changes, then restack |
gt modify --commit -a -m "msg" |
Add explicit commit (for review feedback) |
gt delete [name] |
Delete branch and metadata |
gt rename [name] |
Rename branch |
Stack Operations
| Command |
Description |
gt restack |
Rebase dependent branches after changes |
gt sync --no-interactive |
Pull latest main, delete merged branches, rebase |
gt fold |
Merge branch into its parent |
gt split |
Break branch into multiple branches |
gt squash |
Consolidate commits in branch |
gt reorder |
Reorder branches in stack |
gt move --onto <branch> |
Move branch to different parent |
Submitting PRs
| Command |
Description |
gt submit --no-interactive |
Push and create/update PR for current branch |
gt s --no-interactive |
Short form: submit current branch |
gt s --stack --no-interactive |
Submit current + all descendant branches |
gt ss |
Alias for gt submit --stack |
gt s --draft --no-interactive |
Submit as draft PR |
gt submit --reviewers alice,bob |
Assign reviewers |
Viewing
| Command |
Description |
gt log / gt l |
Show stack visualization |
gt log short / gt ls |
Abbreviated stack view |
gt pr [branch] |
Open PR in browser |
gt info [branch] |
Display branch details |
Recovery
| Command |
Description |
gt continue |
Resume halted operation (after conflict resolution) |
gt abort |
Cancel current operation |
gt undo |
Revert last operation |
Git-to-Graphite Translation
| Instead of... |
Use... |
git checkout -b branch |
gt c --no-interactive -m 'message' |
git push |
gt s --no-interactive |
git rebase main |
gt restack |
git commit --amend |
gt m --no-interactive |
git pull origin main |
gt sync --no-interactive |
Workflow Rules
Branch Selection Decision Tree
| Situation |
Action |
| On main? |
Never commit to main. Create new branch: gt c --no-interactive -m 'message' |
| On a branch + changes are related WIP? |
Amend in place: gt m --no-interactive |
| On unrelated branch + independent changes? |
gt co main then create new branch |
| On a branch + changes depend on it? |
Create stacked branch: gt c --no-interactive -m 'message' |
Always Use --no-interactive
All gt commands that support it should use --no-interactive to avoid blocking on prompts. Key commands:
gt c --no-interactive -m 'message'
gt m --no-interactive
gt s --no-interactive or gt s --stack --no-interactive
gt sync --no-interactive
Staging Rules
- Check if working tree is dirty (
git diff)
- Never mix different fixes/features/WIP together
- Stage only one set of related changes using
git add <specific-files>
Commit Messages
Use semantic commit names: feat:, fix:, chore:, refactor:, docs:, test:
Submitting
- Submit WIP as draft:
gt s --draft --no-interactive
- Submit final work:
gt s --no-interactive
- Submit entire stack:
gt s --stack --no-interactive
For PR title/description conventions (Linear ticket, GitHub issue, no customer names), use the creating-pull-requests skill.
Handling Conflicts
# During restack, if conflicts occur:
# 1. Resolve conflicts in the files
# 2. Stage resolved files
git add <resolved-files>
# 3. Continue the operation
gt continue
Completion Criteria
- Working tree must be clean (no unstaged/untracked changes)
- All branches in the stack are submitted
gt log shows the correct stack structure
Creating a Stack (Typical Flow)
# Start from trunk
gt co main
gt sync --no-interactive
# Create first PR
# ... make changes ...
git add <specific-files>
gt c --no-interactive -m 'feat: add database migration'
# Create second PR on top
# ... make changes ...
git add <specific-files>
gt c --no-interactive -m 'feat: add backend service'
# Create third PR on top
# ... make changes ...
git add <specific-files>
gt c --no-interactive -m 'feat: add frontend components'
# Submit entire stack
gt s --stack --no-interactive
# Verify
gt log
Addressing Review Feedback
# Navigate to the PR that needs changes
gt checkout branch-name
# Make changes, stage them
git add <specific-files>
# Amend and restack all branches above
gt m --no-interactive
# Push updates for the whole stack
gt s --stack --no-interactive