#124 - add pr template detection to onus:pr skill (#125)

- Check for project PR templates before using generic format
- Use .claude/config.json branchFormat for type inference when multiple templates
- Fallback to generic format only when no templates exist

Author: dpuglielli

.claude-plugin/marketplace.json

@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
       "name": "onus",
       "source": "./onus",
       "description": "Work-item automation - fetches issues, generates commits/PRs, syncs progress",
-      "version": "0.3.3"
+      "version": "0.3.4"
     }
   ]
 }

.claude/sessions/issue-feature-124-pr-template-handling.md

@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+# Session: PR Template Handling for onus:pr
+
+## Details
+- **Issue**: #124
+- **Branch**: issue/feature-124/pr-template-handling
+- **Type**: feature
+- **Created**: 2026-01-14
+- **Status**: complete
+
+## Objective
+Make `/onus:pr` check for project PR templates before providing the example format, ensuring project conventions are respected by default.
+
+## Requirements
+- [x] Check for PR templates first (glob `.github/pull_request_template.md` and `.github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/*.md`)
+- [x] Handle multiple templates - infer from context (session Type field, branch conventions) or ask user if ambiguous
+- [x] Fallback to generic format only when no project templates exist
+
+## Technical Approach
+1. Insert "Locate PR Template" section before "Generate PR Body" in the skill
+2. Determine work type from branch name pattern (feature/fix/chore)
+3. Search for templates in priority order: type-specific → generic
+4. Make PR body generation conditional on template presence
+5. Update examples to show template detection flow
+
+## Session Log
+
+### 2026-01-14 - Session Started
+- Created branch and session file from issue #124
+- Issue describes problem: skill provides example format that's "complete enough" causing project templates to be skipped
+
+### 2026-01-14 - Implementation Complete
+- Added "Locate PR Template" section with 4-step detection logic
+- Made "Generate PR Body" conditional (template vs fallback)
+- Updated example interaction to show template detection output
+- Added fallback example for no-template case
+
+## Key Decisions
+- Check for templates first, only disambiguate when multiple found
+- Use `.claude/config.json` branchFormat for type inference (keeps onus self-contained)
+- Don't depend on memento session files (plugins are independent)
+
+## Learnings
+- onus already has config.json with branchFormat - reuse existing patterns
+- Skill files are instructions, not code - keep them flexible, not prescriptive
+
+## Files Changed
+- onus/commands/pr.md
+- onus/package.json (version bump)
+- onus/.claude-plugin/plugin.json (version bump)
+- .claude-plugin/marketplace.json (version bump)
+
+## Next Steps
+None - implementation complete

onus/.claude-plugin/plugin.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "onus",
-  "version": "0.3.3",
+  "version": "0.3.4",
   "description": "Work item automation for Claude Code - auto-injected via hooks, zero config",
   "author": {
     "name": "David Puglielli"

onus/commands/pr.md

@@ -45,8 +45,37 @@ Before creating the PR, verify:
 - `chore - lowercase description` (for chores)
 - No emojis, no attribution
 
+### Locate PR Template
+
+Before generating PR body, check for project templates:
+
+1. **Check for PR templates**
+   ```bash
+   ls .github/pull_request_template.md .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE.md .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/*.md 2>/dev/null
+   ```
+
+2. **Handle results**
+   - **Single template found**: Use it as the PR body structure
+   - **Multiple templates found**:
+     - Parse branch name using `branchFormat` from `.claude/config.json` to determine type
+     - Match type to template name (e.g., `feature` → `feature.md`)
+     - Ask user if still ambiguous
+   - **No templates found**: Use generic format (see fallback below)
+
+3. **State the source used**
+   - "Using project template: .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/feature.md"
+   - "No project PR template found, using generic format"
+
 ### Generate PR Body
 
+**If project template was found:**
+- Read the template file
+- Fill in template sections using session file content
+- Preserve all template sections (don't skip any)
+- Map session data: Goal → Summary, Approach → Details, Session Log → Changes
+
+**If no project template (fallback):**
+
 Use session file content to build the body:
 
 ```markdown
@@ -111,6 +140,10 @@ Branch: issue/feature-42/auth
 Commits: 3 commits ahead of main
 Session: Goal is "Add user authentication"
 
+Checking for PR templates...
+Found: .github/PULL_REQUEST_TEMPLATE/feature.md
+Using project template for PR body.
+
 Creating PR with title matching your commits...
 
 gh pr create --title "#42 - add user authentication" --body "..."
@@ -122,6 +155,12 @@ Next steps:
 - Request reviewers if needed
 ```
 
+**Example without project template:**
+```
+Checking for PR templates...
+No project PR template found, using generic format.
+```
+
 ## Troubleshooting
 
 **"Pull request already exists"?**

onus/package.json

@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 {
   "name": "@claude-domestique/onus",
-  "version": "0.3.3",
+  "version": "0.3.4",
   "description": "Work item automation plugin for Claude Code - auto-injected via hooks, zero config",
   "main": "index.js",
   "scripts": {