GitHub Gist

Create GitHub gists from files, code blocks, or command output using gh gist create.

Prerequisites

• gh CLI installed and authenticated (gh auth status)

Quick Reference

# single file
gh gist create path/to/file.ts

# multiple files
gh gist create src/utils.ts src/types.ts

# glob patterns
gh gist create *.md

# with description
gh gist create -d "auth middleware example" src/auth.ts

# public gist
gh gist create --public handler.ts

# from stdin (pipe content)
echo "content" | gh gist create -f "snippet.ts"

# open in browser after creating
gh gist create -w file.ts

Behavior

When the user asks to create a gist:

1. Identify what to gist. Could be:

   • Specific files the user mentioned
   • Code blocks from the conversation (write to a temp file first)
   • Output of a command (pipe to gh gist create -f <name>)
   • The current file being discussed

2. Ask if unclear. If the user says “gist this” without context, ask what they want to gist.

3. Build the command. Always use gh gist create. Apply flags:

   • -d "description" when context gives a natural description
   • -f "filename.ext" when piping stdin (use a meaningful filename with correct extension)
   • --public only if the user explicitly asks for public
   • -w to open in browser when the user wants to view it immediately

4. Run and report. Execute the command, then return the gist URL to the user.

Examples

User: “gist this file” (while discussing src/auth.ts)

gh gist create -d "auth middleware" src/auth.ts

User: “make a gist of that code block” (after showing a snippet) Write the snippet to a temp file, then:

gh gist create -f "snippet.ts" /tmp/snippet.ts

User: “gist my git diff”

git diff | gh gist create -f "changes.diff"

User: “public gist of these three files”

gh gist create --public file1.ts file2.ts file3.ts

Defaults

• Visibility: secret (not public) unless user says otherwise
• Description: infer from context, skip if nothing obvious
• Browser: don’t open unless asked
• Always return the gist URL after creation