GitHub CLI 2.87.0

When you download a new gh release, its license information is now bundled during the release process. Licenses state how code may be used and distributed, so having them collected with the finished download makes it easier for a person or company to review what is included. This does not change any command you run; it simply makes each release package more complete. It is like getting the warranty and manual in the appliance box instead of requesting them from several manufacturers.

When organizing a GitHub project board, gh project item-list can now take a --query flag, an option that tells a command how to act. You can use a query to select the items you need instead of retrieving the entire list and searching through it yourself. That helps on boards with many tasks when you only want one kind of item. The accompanying implementation was also cleaned up. It is like adding a search box to a library catalog before you walk to the shelf.

After you manually start a GitHub Actions workflow, gh can now retrieve details for that dispatched run. A workflow is a configured sequence of automated steps. Previously, a run started with the manual button could have less traceable information when you reviewed executions. Now the tool recognizes and retrieves it as a specific run, making it easier to check which deployment, test, or automation job you just started. It is like being able to see your own delivery order instead of only knowing the restaurant sent food at some point.

When gh communicates with GitHub, it now pins the REST API to version 2022-11-28. A REST API is an interface through which programs exchange data over web addresses. If the service's default API version changes, a command response can change even though you changed nothing. Naming one version tells gh which set of rules to use. You do not need to memorize the date; it simply reduces surprise differences in everyday commands, like always receiving the same version of a form.

When checking a workflow run, gh run view now honors its --exit-status flag even when you ask for full logs or failed logs. The flag makes a command end with a success or failure result. Previously, combining it with --log or --log-failed could lose that signal, causing a script to misread whether the run failed. Now you can inspect the logs while automation still knows whether to stop or continue. It is like being able to read an alarm record while the warning light still stays on.

When gh pr create needs to fork a repository while creating a pull request, it now forks only the default branch instead of every branch. A pull request is a request to merge your changes into a project, and a fork is your own copy of someone else's repository. Since your change usually begins from the default branch, this narrows what must be copied for the task. Other branches are not treated as required baggage. It is like photocopying the main document you need rather than carrying home the whole filing cabinet.

When editing a pull request, you can now choose an assignee in an interactive prompt and search for Copilot to add it as a reviewer. A pull request asks a project to merge your changes, while an interactive prompt asks you for choices step by step, so you do not have to remember and type every account name. Both areas also received performance and accessibility improvements, making the selection easier with assistive tools. It is like filling out a meeting invitation with a searchable attendee list and an AI assistant checkbox.

When uploading a release asset, gh release upload now explains --clobber more clearly: it deletes an existing asset before uploading again. gh gist edit also gains usage examples, making it easier to edit a gist, GitHub's short post for sharing code or text snippets. One English typo was corrected as well. These changes do not alter the commands' core behavior, but they make a potentially destructive action easier to understand before you use it. It is like labeling a button to say it empties the old cabinet first.

This release also tidies gh's internal maintenance: it removes a feedback issue template, moves issue and PR triage to shared workflows, adds feature-detection notes, and lets the Go bump workflow be started manually. Error formatting and source-document checks were fixed, while Go, OAuth, text, terminal, signing, and release-related dependencies were updated; a new contributor was also recorded. These are not new commands for you to type. They maintain the development, testing, and release chain, like improving kitchen plumbing and prep work without adding a new dish to the menu.