GitHub Copilot offers an automation for managing Dependabot pull requests. This automation reviews open pull requests, categorizing them by risk level. It verifies the status of Continuous Integration (CI) checks for each pull request and provides a summary of recommended next steps. The system prioritizes identifying safe patch updates and minor version upgrades, reducing the number of decisions a developer needs to make individually.
The automation can be configured to run daily, typically before the start of the workday, ensuring that the results are available when the developer logs in. The user can choose to run the automation in the cloud or on their local machine. Copilot returns a summary of the pull requests rather than a detailed list, streamlining the review process.
If a pull request requires further investigation, the user can initiate a Copilot session directly from the automation’s results. This session leverages the context established by the previous automation run, eliminating the need to re-gather information. All automation runs are saved, providing a historical record for transparency and auditing.
This approach shifts repetitive tasks to Copilot, enabling engineers to focus on tasks requiring specialized expertise. The system is designed for recurring maintenance tasks, like Dependabot reviews, allowing for efficient management of software updates. The GitHub Copilot app provides tools to view diffs, run terminal commands, and preview web apps side by side.
