github-search

Q: How do I install github-search?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/samhvw8/dotfiles --skill github-search in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/github-search/ (personal) or .claude/skills/github-search/ (project).

by samhvw8

Search GitHub with the gh CLI: find repositories, code, and issues/PRs, and see how open-source projects use a library. Use when looking for repos, usage examples, or reported bugs and workarounds on GitHub.

Installs: 65
Last 24h: —
Trending rank: —
Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/samhvw8/dotfiles --skill github-search

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads github-search automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

GitHub Search

Quick Commands

Goal	Command
Search repos	`gh search repos "<query>" --limit 30`
Search code	`gh search code "<query>" --limit 30`
Search issues	`gh search issues "<query>" --limit 30`
Search PRs	`gh search prs "<query>" --limit 30`

Keyword Strategy: Variants & Long → Short

GitHub matches your query tokens against repo name + description + README (for code search, the file contents). There is no semantic matching — a repo is invisible if its text doesn't contain words close to yours. Two ways a search misses:

Wrong word — the author used a synonym you didn't try.
Too long — your compound phrase is more specific than any repo's name/description, so nothing matches.

Fix: generate keyword variants, and cascade from longer to shorter.

# ❌ Brittle — one long compound, matches almost nothing
gh search repos "AI powered headless browser automation framework"

# ✅ Variants + length cascade — run in parallel, shorter terms guarantee coverage
gh search repos "headless browser automation" --sort stars --limit 15
gh search repos "headless browser"            --sort stars --limit 15
gh search repos "browser automation"          --sort stars --limit 15
gh search repos "browserless"                 --sort stars --limit 15   # synonym
gh search repos "browser"                      --sort stars --limit 15   # shortest, widest net

Rule	Why
Longer → shorter	Each word you drop widens the match set; the shortest core noun catches repos with zero topics and terse descriptions
Generate variants	Authors and users pick different words (`headless` vs `browserless`, `agent` vs `bot`) — cover the synonyms
Never long-only	A single long compound is the most brittle query — if it's all you run, you miss the field
Run in parallel	Batch all variants into simultaneous calls; cost is the same, coverage is far higher
Repeat per language	Run the cascade in each target language with native terms (`无头浏览器`, `автоматизация браузера`)

Direct API Search (Web-Exact Results)

For complex queries where gh search repos gives different results than web:

# Template - URL-encodes query automatically
gh api "search/repositories?q=$(printf '%s' 'YOUR_QUERY_HERE' | jq -sRr @uri)&sort=updated&per_page=30" --jq '.items[].full_name'

Example - Multi-language with exclusions:

gh api "search/repositories?q=$(printf '%s' 'stars:>500 language:rust language:go language:TypeScript language:javascript -topic:ethereum -topic:cryptocurrency -topic:blockchain -topic:bitcoin -topic:web3' | jq -sRr @uri)&sort=updated&per_page=10" --jq '.items[].full_name'

Why use this?

gh search repos is a convenience wrapper with its own query parsing
gh api search/repositories hits the raw API, matching web behavior exactly
Required when combining: multiple languages + topic exclusions + star filters

Common jq extractions:

Output	jq filter
Names only	`--jq '.items[].name'`
Full names	`--jq '.items[].full_name'`
With stars	`--jq '.items[] \| "\(.full_name) ⭐\(.stargazers_count)"'`
URLs	`--jq '.items[].html_url'`
Full JSON	(omit --jq)

Patterns

Finding Repositories

When you see: User wants to find projects/repos by criteria Use: gh search repos

# Basic search with stars
gh search repos "stars:>500 language:rust" --sort=stars --limit=50

# Multiple languages (OR logic)
gh search repos "language:rust language:go language:typescript"

# Exclude topics
gh search repos "stars:>1000 -topic:cryptocurrency -topic:blockchain"

# By topic
gh search repos "topic:cli topic:terminal stars:>100"

# Recently updated (pick a date a few months back)
gh search repos "language:python pushed:>YYYY-MM-DD"

Output formats:

--json name,url,description,stargazersCount  # JSON output
--web                                         # Open in browser

Finding Code Examples

When you see: User wants to know how to use a library Use: gh search code

# Find usage patterns
gh search code "from zod import" --limit=20
gh search code "import { z } from 'zod'" --limit=20

# In specific file types
gh search code "useQuery" extension:tsx --limit=30

# In specific paths
gh search code "tanstack/query" path:src/ extension:ts

# Exact phrase
gh search code '"createTRPCRouter"' extension:ts

Pro tip: Combine with repo filter for focused results:

gh search code "pattern" repo:owner/repo

Finding Issues/Discussions

When you see: User looking for bug reports, feature requests, or discussions Use: gh search issues or gh search prs

# Open issues with label
gh search issues "is:open label:bug repo:facebook/react"

# PRs by author
gh search prs "author:username is:merged"

# Issues mentioning error
gh search issues '"connection refused" language:go'

Query Qualifiers Reference

Repo Search

Qualifier	Example	Description
`stars:`	`stars:>1000`, `stars:100..500`	Star count
`forks:`	`forks:>100`	Fork count
`language:`	`language:rust`	Primary language
`topic:`	`topic:cli`	Repository topic
`-topic:`	`-topic:blockchain`	Exclude topic
`pushed:`	`pushed:>2024-01-01`	Last push date
`created:`	`created:>2023-01-01`	Creation date
`license:`	`license:mit`	License type
`archived:`	`archived:false`	Archive status
`is:`	`is:public`, `is:private`	Visibility

Code Search

Qualifier	Example	Description
`extension:`	`extension:ts`	File extension
`path:`	`path:src/`	File path
`repo:`	`repo:owner/name`	Specific repo
`language:`	`language:javascript`	Code language
`filename:`	`filename:package.json`	File name

Common Flags

Flag	Description
`--limit N`	Number of results (max 1000)
`--sort X`	Sort by: stars, forks, updated, best-match
`--order X`	asc or desc
`--json FIELDS`	JSON output with specific fields
`--web`	Open results in browser

Common Use Cases

"Find popular X repos"

gh search repos "language:X stars:>500" --sort=stars --limit=50

"How do people use library Y"

gh search code "import Y" extension:ts --limit=30
gh search code "from Y import" extension:py --limit=30

"Find repos like Z but exclude crypto"

gh search repos "topic:Z -topic:cryptocurrency -topic:blockchain -topic:web3"

"Find recent active projects"

gh search repos "language:go pushed:>YYYY-MM-DD stars:>100" --sort=updated

Tips

Quote the query when it contains special chars: gh search repos "stars:>500"
Multiple languages = OR: language:rust language:go matches either
Use --json for scripting: --json name,url,stargazersCount
Date ranges: pushed:2024-01-01..2024-06-01
Numeric ranges: stars:100..500
Use gh api for complex queries: When gh search repos gives unexpected results, use gh api search/repositories?q=... for exact web parity

FAQ

What does the github-search skill do?

How do I install github-search?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/samhvw8/dotfiles --skill github-search in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/github-search/ (personal) or .claude/skills/github-search/ (project).

Which AI agents can use github-search?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is github-search safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains github-search?

It is published by samhvw8 in samhvw8/dotfiles. It has 65 recorded installs.

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