Mentions workflow : Can I iterate on the same branch instead of creating a new one each time?

[Avilocap]

Hi!

I’m using Claude Code with GitHub Actions in “mention” mode — when I write @ claude in a GitHub issue, it picks up the request and generates changes. Right now, each new mention spins up a new branch, which gets noisy fast

Is there a built-in flag/setting to reuse an existing branch/PR when it already exists? (e.g., something like update_existing_pr: true

If not supported, what workarounds are you using?

Can Claude keep state tied to the issue so it “remembers” the working branch, or should I handle that state purely in the workflow?

If anyone has a config snippet or best practices, I’d love to see it. Thanks! 🙏

[tomoish]

@Avilocap
There is no built-in flag to reuse existing branches when triggered from issues. The action always creates a new branch when triggered on issues. This is by design for security and predictability reasons.

This exact feature has been proposed in #372 - you might want to add your use case there to help prioritize it