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This guide walks you through creating your first pull request with AutoDev.

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Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you’ve completed:
  1. ✅ Prerequisites
  2. ✅ GitHub App Installation
  3. ✅ GitHub Workflow Setup
  4. ✅ AI Agent Configuration

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Step 1: Access AutoDev Dashboard

  1. Go to app.delino.io
  2. Select your team from the team switcher
  3. Navigate to the AutoDev section
  4. You’ll see the task creation form

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Step 2: Select Your Repository

  1. Click the Repository dropdown
  2. Select the repository where you want to create a PR
  3. Only repositories with the AutoDev GitHub App installed will appear
Troubleshooting: If your repository doesn’t appear:
  • Verify GitHub App installation
  • Check repository permissions
  • Refresh the page

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Step 3: Write Your Task Prompt

Start with a simple, well-defined task for your first PR:

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Example 1: Bug Fix

Fix the authentication bug where users get a 500 error
when logging in with an empty email field. Add proper
validation and return a 400 error with helpful message.

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Example 2: Small Feature

Add a dark mode toggle button to the settings page.
Store the preference in localStorage and apply the
theme across all pages.

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Example 3: Refactoring

Refactor the payment processing service to use async/await
instead of callbacks. Update all related functions in
@src/services/payment.js
Tips for good prompts:
  • Be specific about what to fix or build
  • Include file paths using @ notation
  • Mention technical requirements
  • Specify expected behavior

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Step 4: Configure Task Settings

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Task Type

For your first PR, leave “Create as Composite Task” unchecked. This creates a simple unit task, perfect for getting started.

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Advanced Settings (Optional)

AI Agent:
  • Leave blank to use your team’s default
  • Or select a specific agent (e.g., “Claude Code”)
Model Version:
  • Leave blank to use the agent’s default
  • Or specify a model (e.g., “sonnet”, “gpt-4”)
Base Branch:
  • Leave blank to use the repository’s default branch
  • Or specify a branch (e.g., “develop”, “staging”)

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Step 5: Create the Task

  1. Review your prompt
  2. Check repository selection
  3. Click Create Task
  4. You’ll be redirected to the task details page

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Step 6: Monitor Progress

The task details page shows:

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Initial Status: Pending

  • Task is created and queued
  • GitHub Actions workflow is being triggered
  • Usually completes in seconds

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Status: In Progress

  • AI agent is analyzing your request
  • Code is being written
  • Pull requests are being created
  • This can take 2-10 minutes depending on complexity

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Status: Completed

  • All work is done
  • Pull requests have been created
  • Ready for review

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Step 7: Review the Generated PR

Once completed:
  1. Click on the PR in the task details page
  2. Or navigate to GitHub and find the PR
  3. Review the changes:
    • Check code quality
    • Verify it meets requirements
    • Look for any issues

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What to expect

On GitHub PR page:
  • AutoDev task link comment
  • Task prompt comment (shows what AI was asked to do)
  • Code changes in files
  • Automated tests running (CI checks)
Good signs:
  • Code follows your project’s style
  • Tests are passing
  • Changes are focused and relevant
  • Documentation is updated if needed
Red flags:
  • Code doesn’t compile
  • Tests are failing
  • Changes are unrelated to the task
  • Security issues

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Step 8: Provide Feedback (Optional)

If changes are needed:

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Option 1: GitHub Review Comments

  1. Leave review comments on the PR
  2. Click “Request changes” or “Comment”
  3. AutoDev automatically detects the review
  4. AI agent makes updates based on your feedback
  5. PR is updated with new changes

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Option 2: Manual Update Request

  1. Go to task details page
  2. Click Update PR
  3. Enter update instructions
  4. AutoDev triggers update workflow
  5. PR is updated with changes

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Step 9: Merge the PR

When you’re satisfied:
  1. Ensure all CI checks pass
  2. Get required approvals from team
  3. Merge the PR on GitHub
  4. Delete the branch (optional)
  5. Task status updates to “Completed”

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Common First-Time Issues

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AutoDev not responding to reviews

Causes:
  • autodev.yml file missing or incorrect
  • Agent not configured or API key missing
Solution:
  • Verify workflow file exists at .github/workflows/autodev.yml
  • Check file contents match the setup guide
  • Ensure workflow has correct permissions
  • Verify AI agent is set up correctly
  • Check API key in repository secrets
  • Review agent configuration guide

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PR not created

Cause: Task completed but no branches were needed Solution:
  • Check task prompt - was it clear what to create?
  • Review workflow execution logs
  • Task may have determined no changes were needed

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CI checks failing

Cause: Generated code has issues Solution:
  • AutoDev automatically tries to fix CI failures
  • Wait for auto-fix workflow to complete
  • If it fails again, add review comments with guidance

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Next Steps

Now that you’ve created your first PR:

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Try more complex tasks

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Learn about PR management

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Optimize your workflow

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Advanced features

  • Try creating a composite task for complex projects
  • Enable auto-approval for trusted workflows
  • Configure custom CI fix strategies

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Tips for Success

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Start simple

  • Begin with small, well-defined tasks
  • Learn how the AI interprets your prompts
  • Gradually increase complexity

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Iterate on prompts

  • Refine your prompt writing based on results
  • Be more specific if output is too broad
  • Add constraints for better control

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Review carefully

  • Always review AI-generated code
  • Don’t merge without understanding changes
  • Treat it like code from a junior developer

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Collaborate with AI

  • Use AutoDev for repetitive tasks
  • Let it handle boilerplate code
  • Focus your time on complex logic and architecture

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Provide feedback

  • Review comments help the AI improve
  • Be specific about what’s wrong
  • Guide the AI toward better solutions

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Example: Complete First Task

Let’s walk through a complete example: Prompt: 
Add input validation to the user registration form.
Email must be valid format, password must be at least
8 characters. Display error messages below each field.
What happens:
  1. Task created with auto-generated title: “Add input validation to user registration form”
  2. GitHub Actions workflow triggered
  3. AI agent analyzes the codebase
  4. Finds the registration form component
  5. Adds validation logic
  6. Adds error message display
  7. Writes tests for validation
  8. Creates PR with all changes
Expected PR:
  • Frontend: Validation logic in registration component
  • Frontend: Error message UI components
  • Tests: Validation test cases
  • Total: ~100-200 lines across 3-4 files
Review:
  1. Check validation logic is correct
  2. Verify error messages are user-friendly
  3. Ensure tests cover edge cases
  4. Confirm no breaking changes
Result:
  • PR merged
  • Feature deployed
  • Task completed
Time saved: ~1-2 hours of development work You’re now ready to use AutoDev for your development tasks!
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