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Dependency Update PR Triage and Auto-Merge

aka “Dep Wrangler”

Tame the Dependabot PR flood — auto-merge the safe ones, flag the risky ones

Reviews dependency update PRs by reading changelogs, checking for breaking changes, running tests, and auto-merging patch updates that pass CI. Turns 50 Dependabot PRs per week into 3 that need your attention.

House RecipeWork3 min

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INGREDIENTS

🐙GitHub💬Slack

PROMPT

Create a skill called "Dep Wrangler". Help me manage the flood of dependency update PRs (Dependabot, Renovate, or manual): For each open dependency update PR: 1. Read the changelog/release notes for the new version 2. Classify the update: security fix, breaking change, new feature, or patch 3. Check if CI passes 4. For security updates, look up the CVE and EPSS score 5. Recommend action: auto-merge, review needed, or defer Auto-merge criteria (configurable): - Patch version bump + CI passes + no breaking changes in changelog - Security patches regardless of version bump Generate a weekly summary: what was merged, what needs review, what security updates are outstanding. Group related updates where possible.

How It Works

Instead of ignoring 200 Dependabot PRs or rubber-stamping them, this skill

triages each update by actual risk: read the changelog, check the version

bump type, run tests, and decide.

What You Get

Risk assessment for each dependency update (breaking, feature, patch, security)
Changelog analysis: does the new version contain breaking changes?
Auto-merge for low-risk updates after CI passes
Batching of compatible updates into grouped PRs
Priority flagging for security updates (CVEs with EPSS scores)
Weekly summary of what was merged, what needs attention, and what was deferred

Setup Steps

Configure your Claw with GitHub access to your repos
Set your risk tolerance (auto-merge patches? minors? only after CI passes?)
Run on a schedule or trigger manually
Review the weekly summary

Tips

Start conservative: auto-merge only patches with passing CI
The changelog analysis catches most breaking changes before tests do
Security updates should always be prioritized regardless of version bump
Group related updates (e.g., all @types/* packages) to reduce PR volume
Pairs well with the CVE Triager for security-specific dependency updates

Tags:#dependencies#security#github#devops

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