aiq-prepare-pr - SKILL.md Agent Skill

name: aiq-prepare-pr description: Use when preparing, opening, or updating an AI-Q pull request — scoping the branch, signing commits with DCO, filling the PR template with real validation evidence, and following the copy-pr-bot CI and merge flow. license: Apache-2.0 compatibility: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, and Agent Skills-compatible tools. metadata: version: "0.1.0" source-repo: "NVIDIA-AI-Blueprints/aiq" tags: "aiq pull-request dco contributing release-qa" allowed-tools: Read Bash Edit

Prepare an AI-Q Pull Request

Use this skill to take a finished AI-Q change from a working branch to a review-ready pull request: a focused branch off develop, DCO-signed commits, the PR template filled with real validation evidence, and the copy-pr-bot CI flow followed correctly.

Start Here

Confirm the change is scoped: no unrelated files, no generated artifacts, no secrets, no environment-specific hostnames.
Confirm validation already ran. This skill does not invent test commands — run aiq-release-qa first and reuse its exact output as evidence.
Confirm every commit is signed off (DCO). Commits without a Signed-off-by trailer may be rejected.
Target the develop branch unless a maintainer asked for a release branch.

Authoritative References

CONTRIBUTING.md: the canonical PR workflow, Local Validation, DCO text, and the copy-pr-bot / /ok to test / /merge flow.
.github/pull_request_template.md: the exact sections and checklist your PR description must fill.
AGENTS.md: "Git and PR hygiene" and the validation commands aiq-release-qa runs.

For the step-by-step checklist and the bot command reference:

references/pr-checklist.md

Workflow

Verify the branch is focused and based on develop; rebase or reset scope if unrelated files crept in.
Ensure every commit is signed: git commit -s (and git commit --amend -s or git rebase --signoff to fix unsigned commits already made).
Run the relevant checks via aiq-release-qa and keep the exact output.
Push the branch and open the PR into develop.
Fill the PR template: Overview, Validation (paste the commands and output), reviewer starting point, related issues, and tick every checklist box you can honestly tick.
Drive CI: a maintainer or vetter comments /ok to test, copy-pr-bot mirrors the PR to pull-request/<number>, and CI runs there.
Address review feedback until required checks and code-owner review pass.

Validation

This skill is about PR hygiene, not code execution; verify the contributor mechanics:

git log --pretty=full origin/develop..HEAD | grep -c "Signed-off-by:"  # every commit signed
git diff --name-only origin/develop..HEAD                              # only intended files
git status --porcelain                                                 # no stray artifacts

Expected: the sign-off count equals your commit count, the changed-file list contains only files relevant to this change, and the working tree is clean.

Common Mistakes

Unsigned commits. Use git commit -s; fix existing ones with git rebase --signoff origin/develop before pushing.
A vague Validation section. Paste the real commands and their output from aiq-release-qa; "ran tests" is not evidence.
Scope creep: unrelated refactors, formatting churn on untouched files, or committed generated artifacts.
Committing secrets or deploy/.env values. Resolve secrets at runtime; never paste them into the PR.
Expecting CI to run on push alone — it runs on the copy-pr-bot mirror after /ok to test.
Skipping the docs update for user-facing or contributor-facing changes.

Related Skills

aiq-release-qa
aiq-add-tool
aiq-add-data-source