Automate GitHub workflows with AI agents and the GitHub CLI

AI coding agents can interact directly with GitHub repositories using the gh command-line tool. By instructing your AI agent to use the GitHub CLI, you can save time and effort on repetitive GitHub tasks and give your coding agent the power to manage coding activities beyond just coding.

Prerequisites and Setup

Before instructing your AI agent to use GitHub CLI, ensure:

• The gh command is installed on the system where your agent runs

• You're authenticated with gh auth login

• Your agent's environment has access to the authenticated gh configuration

Capabilities and Use Cases

With proper configuration, AI agents can handle numerous GitHub operations:

• Pull request management — Create PRs, update descriptions, respond to review comments

• Issue tracking — Create, update, label, and comment on issues

• CI/CD monitoring — Check GitHub Actions status, retrieve build logs, analyze test results

• Code review automation — Apply suggested changes, respond to feedback, update branches

Safety Considerations

Granting an AI agent access to manage your repositories requires careful consideration:

1. Define clear boundaries in your instructions. Specify exactly what operations the agent should and shouldn't perform.

2. Restrict permissions where possible. Consider using GitHub's fine-grained personal access tokens to limit the agent's capabilities to only necessary operations.

3. Avoid destructive operations by explicitly instructing the agent not to:

   • Delete issues or pull requests

   • Merge PRs without explicit approval

   • Modify repository settings or permissions

   • Force-push to protected branches

Implementation Example

In your AI agent's instructions or system prompt, include specific guidelines. For example:

Use the `gh` command to interact with GitHub repositories. 
You may create issues, open PRs, and add comments. 
Never merge PRs or delete any resources without explicit confirmation.
Always show the exact `gh` command before executing it.

This approach transforms your AI agent into a powerful GitHub automation assistant while maintaining necessary safeguards for your projects.

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For more on using AI for Git & GitHub, join us for a free talk with Clelia Astra Bertelli - AI-assisted DevOps: Driving Git and GitHub.