diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yaml b/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yaml
index d12f228..e7f28c5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-docs.yaml
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Create a branch
         working-directory: ./splunk-ao-docs
-        run: git checkout -b feat/update-docs-${GITHUB_REF_NAME}-${{ github.run_id }}
+        run: |
+          git fetch origin feat/update-docs-${GITHUB_REF_NAME} 2>/dev/null && git checkout -B feat/update-docs-${GITHUB_REF_NAME} FETCH_HEAD || git checkout -b feat/update-docs-${GITHUB_REF_NAME}
 
       - name: Update SDK docs
         run: |
@@ -68,13 +69,12 @@ jobs:
           git remote set-url origin https://x-access-token:${PAT}@github.com/splunk/agent-observability-docs.git
           git add .
           if git diff --cached --quiet; then
-            echo "No doc changes to publish"
             echo "has_changes=false" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-            exit 0
+          else
+            git commit -m "Updating docs from ${GITHUB_REF_NAME}"
+            git push origin feat/update-docs-${GITHUB_REF_NAME} --force
+            echo "has_changes=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
           fi
-          echo "has_changes=true" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
-          git commit -m "Updating docs from ${GITHUB_REF_NAME}-${{ github.run_id }}"
-          git push -u origin feat/update-docs-${GITHUB_REF_NAME}-${{ github.run_id }}
 
       - name: Create PR
         if: steps.commit.outputs.has_changes == 'true'
@@ -97,4 +97,10 @@ jobs:
 
             **DO NOT** approve this PR until you have completed these checks.
         run: |
-          gh pr create --title "Updated Python SDK docs" --body "$PR_BODY"
+          BRANCH_NAME=feat/update-docs-${GITHUB_REF_NAME}
+          EXISTING_PR=$(gh pr list --head "$BRANCH_NAME" --state open --json number --jq '.[0].number')
+          if [ -n "$EXISTING_PR" ]; then
+            echo "PR #$EXISTING_PR already open for branch $BRANCH_NAME — updated via force push"
+          else
+            gh pr create -B main -H "$BRANCH_NAME" --title "Updated Python SDK docs" --body "$PR_BODY"
+          fi