history
Project history and usage
GitHub CLI, invoked as `gh`, is GitHub's official command-line tool for working with pull requests, issues, repositories, releases, Actions, authentication, and GitHub API data from a terminal.
Project history
GitHub created the cli/cli repository in October 2019 and opened the project as a new official CLI distinct from the older community `hub` tool. GitHub announced the beta in February 2020 and released GitHub CLI 1.0 in September 2020.
The README frames `gh` as a standalone tool that brings GitHub concepts next to `git` and source code work. The project grew into a cross-platform Go CLI with first-party manuals, release binaries, package repositories, GitHub Enterprise support, extension support, API helpers, and later supply-chain features such as build provenance attestations for release artifacts.
Adoption history
GitHub CLI has broad adoption because it is distributed through GitHub's own package repositories and release binaries, package managers such as Homebrew and WinGet, and GitHub-hosted Actions runner images. Its first-party status made it a standard automation interface for GitHub workflows in shells and CI jobs.
How it is used
Practitioners use `gh` to create and review pull requests, triage issues, clone and browse repositories, trigger or inspect Actions workflows, manage releases and gists, authenticate to GitHub hosts, call the GitHub API, and script repository operations without leaving the command line.
Why package nerds care
For package and automation ecosystems, `gh` is important because it gives GitHub an official, versioned executable surface. Package maintainers can depend on consistent commands across macOS, Linux, and Windows, while CI authors can use a preinstalled or easily installed binary instead of hand-rolling API calls.
Timeline
- 2019: The cli/cli repository was created.
- 2020: GitHub announced GitHub CLI beta.
- 2020: GitHub CLI 1.0.0 was published.
- 2024: The README records release build provenance attestations beginning with version 2.50.0.
Related projects
- The README compares GitHub CLI with `hub`, noting that `hub` behaves as a proxy to `git` while `gh` is a standalone tool for GitHub workflows.