---
name: create-branch
description: Create a git branch following Sentry naming conventions. Use when asked to "create a branch", "new branch", "start a branch", "make a branch", "switch to a new branch", or when starting new work on the default branch.
argument-hint: '[optional description of the work]'
risk: critical
source: community
date_added: "2026-03-06"
---

# Create Branch

Create a git branch with the correct type prefix and a descriptive name following Sentry conventions.

## When to Use
- You need to create a new git branch that follows the repository's naming convention.
- You are starting a new piece of work from the default branch and need help classifying it as `feat`, `fix`, `docs`, or another branch type.
- You want the branch name proposed from either the task description or the current local diff.

Repository/user naming rules take precedence over these Sentry defaults. Preserve current dirty/staged/untracked work, resolve the intended base to a full commit and avoid auto-stashing unrelated changes. Validate the resulting name with git check-ref-format --branch and pass it as a quoted argument, never shell-interpolated user text. A stale remote-tracking ref is not proof the remote branch is absent; inspect the intended remote if needed.

## Step 1: Get the Username Prefix

Run `gh api user --jq .login` to get the GitHub username.

If the command fails (e.g. not authenticated), ask the user for their preferred prefix.

## Step 2: Determine the Branch Description

**If `$ARGUMENTS` is provided**, use it as the description of the work.

**If no arguments**, check for local changes:

```bash
git diff
git diff --cached
git status --short
```

- **Changes exist**: read the diff content to understand what the work is about and generate a description.
- **No changes**: ask the user what they are about to work on.

## Step 3: Classify the Type

Pick the type from this table based on the description:

| Type      | Use when                                                              |
| --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `feat`    | New user-facing functionality                                         |
| `fix`     | Broken behavior now works                                             |
| `ref`     | Same behavior, different structure                                    |
| `chore`   | Deps, config, version bumps, updating existing tooling — no new logic |
| `perf`    | Same behavior, faster                                                 |
| `style`   | CSS, formatting, visual-only                                          |
| `docs`    | Documentation only                                                    |
| `test`    | Tests only                                                            |
| `ci`      | CI/CD config                                                          |
| `build`   | Build system                                                          |
| `meta`    | Repo metadata changes                                                 |
| `license` | License changes                                                       |

When unsure: `feat` for new things (including new scripts, skills, or tools), `ref` for restructuring existing things, `chore` only when updating/maintaining something that already exists.

## Step 4: Generate and Propose

Build the branch name as `<username>/<type>/<short-description>`.

Rules for `<short-description>`:

- Kebab-case, lowercase
- 3 to 6 words, concise but clear
- Describe the change, not file names
- Only use ASCII letters, digits, and hyphens — no spaces, dots, colons, tildes, or other git-forbidden characters

Present it to the user and ask if they want to use it, modify it, or change the type.

### Examples

| Work description                           | Branch name                                 |
| ------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------- |
| Dropdown menu not closing on outside click | `priscila/fix/dropdown-not-closing-on-blur` |
| Adding search to conversations page        | `priscila/feat/add-search-to-conversations` |
| Restructuring drawer components            | `priscila/ref/simplify-drawer-components`   |
| Updating test fixtures                     | `priscila/chore/update-test-fixtures`       |
| Bumping @sentry/react to latest version    | `priscila/chore/bump-sentry-react`          |
| Adding a new agent skill                   | `priscila/feat/add-create-branch-skill`     |

## Step 5: Create the Branch

Once confirmed, detect the current and default branch:

```bash
git branch --show-current
git remote | grep -qx origin && echo origin || git remote | head -1
git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/<remote>/HEAD 2>/dev/null | sed 's|refs/remotes/<remote>/||' | tr -d '[:space:]'
```

If `symbolic-ref` fails, fall back to `git branch --list main master`: use the one that exists; if both or neither exist, ask the user.

If `git branch --show-current` is empty (detached HEAD), show the current commit (`git rev-parse --short HEAD`) and ask whether to branch from it or switch to the default branch first.

Otherwise, if the current branch is not the default branch, warn the user and ask whether to branch from the current branch or switch to the default branch first.

If the user wants to switch to the default branch, handle any uncommitted changes appropriately (offer to stash them if present), then run `git checkout <default-branch>`. On failure, preserve the named stash and inspect status before restoration; do not pop an unrelated stash or overwrite conflicting work.

Before creating the branch, check that the name doesn't already exist locally or on the remote (`git show-ref`). If it does, ask the user to choose a different name.

Create the branch:

```bash
git checkout -b <branch-name>
```

Restore only the explicitly recorded task stash after inspecting status, verify the restored bytes and keep the stash until recovery is confirmed.

## References

- [Sentry Branch Naming](https://develop.sentry.dev/sdk/getting-started/standards/code-submission/#branch-naming)

## Limitations
- Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
- Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
- Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.


---
Source attribution: getsentry
Original project: https://github.com/getsentry/skills
License: CC-BY-4.0
License information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Mega AI Hub.


# Mega AI Hub resource metadata

Creator / publisher: getsentry
Original project: https://github.com/getsentry/skills
Attribution basis: Actual original-project package file and versioned publisher credits

Fields of work: Development & Engineering
Roles: Software Developer
Specialties: Specialty not specified
Tools: Tool not specified
Country applicability: Country not specified
Classification basis: Dave AI task classification from package title, description, and declared metadata
Instruction SHA-256: fb0a6fea226d46053c9061c2dc09973d9df4307158fcb351ca1fe02c41219b16
Metadata reviewed: 2026-10-27
This metadata supersedes earlier Mega AI Hub catalog attribution. Original instruction and supporting files are preserved.