---
name: gitlab:merge-request
description: Working with GitLab merge requests via glab. Use when creating, updating, reviewing, or merging MRs.
allowed-tools:
  - Bash(bun ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/*:*)
  - Bash(bun ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/merge.ts:*)
  - Bash(glab mr:*)
  - Bash(glab api:*)
---
# Merge Requests

Working with GitLab merge requests via `glab mr`.

## Key Commands

```bash
glab mr create --fill      # Create from commits (push branch first!)
glab mr list               # List MRs
glab mr view               # View current branch's MR
glab mr checkout <id>      # Check out MR branch
```

Use `glab mr --help` and `glab mr <command> --help` for full options.

## Merging

Always use `merge.ts` to merge. It handles merge trains, auto-merge, and squash automatically, falling back to `glab mr merge` internally when appropriate.

```bash
bun ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/merge.ts
bun ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/merge.ts --auto-merge
bun ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/scripts/merge.ts feature-branch --auto-merge --squash
```

## Patterns

**Always push before creating:**
```bash
git push -u origin feature-branch && glab mr create --fill
```

**Draft MRs:** Use `--draft` to prevent accidental merges.

**Auto-fill vs custom:** `--fill` auto-populates from commits but cannot combine with `--title`/`--description`. Choose one approach.

**Body from file:** No `--body-file` flag; use `--description "$(cat file.md)"`.

**Username resolution:** Flags like `--reviewer` and `--assignee` require exact usernames. Invalid names are silently ignored. Look up users first:

```bash
glab api projects/:id/members/all --paginate | jq '.[] | select(.name | test("<name>"; "i")) | {name, username}'
```

## Blocking

Prevent an MR from merging until another MR merges first. Uses the REST API directly since `glab mr` has no blocking subcommand.

```bash
# Block MR !10 until MR !5 merges
glab api projects/:id/merge_requests/10/blocks -X POST -f blocking_merge_request_iid=5

# List blocks on an MR
glab api projects/:id/merge_requests/10/blocks

# Remove a block
glab api projects/:id/merge_requests/10/blocks/<block-id> -X DELETE
```

## Reviews

Submit review feedback as draft notes that accumulate before publishing. See [review.md](review.md) for the draft notes workflow, code suggestions, and approvals.

## Discussions

Fetch, filter, resolve, and summarize MR discussion threads. See [discussions.md](discussions.md) for the discussions script, resolution workflow, and pagination pitfalls.

## Stacking

`glab stack` manages stacked diffs—small changes that build on each other. See [stack.md](stack.md).

## Reference Files

- [review.md](review.md) - Draft notes review workflow
- [review-state.md](review-state.md) - GraphQL mutations for review decisions
- [discussions.md](discussions.md) - Discussion threads and resolution
- [stack.md](stack.md) - Stacked diff workflow