Skip to content
Book a demo

GitHub

Install the Ren GitHub app in your GitHub organization, then map a repository to a Ren project, and mention @renagent on a pull request to hand Ren the work, and Ren reads it, replies, and can push commits.

Install the Ren GitHub app

Install the Ren GitHub app once per GitHub organization and choose which repositories it can access. The app has its own identity, separate from your personal GitHub account. Installation needs:

  • In Ren: an organization admin to start the install.
  • On GitHub: permission to install apps on the organization. That’s usually an organization owner. If you can’t install it yourself, GitHub sends the request to an owner for approval.
  1. Go to Settings → Mentions.
  2. In the Git providers section, select Install Ren on GitHub.
  3. On GitHub, pick the organization, then choose All repositories or Only select repositories.
  4. Approve the install. You return to Ren.

To give Ren access to more repositories later, change the app’s repository access in your GitHub organization’s settings.

Add repositories to a project

A repository reaches Ren only when it’s mapped to a project. Each repository maps to one project, and a project can have several repositories.

  1. Add the repository to the project. See Repositories.
  2. Open the project’s @Ren tab.
  3. On the GitHub card, pick the repository.

To map several repositories to one project, use Settings → Mentions → GitHub: select a project, then select each repository to route to it.

Mention @renagent

Mention @renagent in a comment on a pull request, or in a review comment on a line of the diff:

@renagent the null check in parseConfig is missing. Fix it and add a test.

Ren adds 👀 and underlines @renagent when it starts. It can reply, review the pull request, or push commits. When it finishes, it usually replaces 👀 with 🚀.

Ren responds to mentions on pull requests in mapped repositories. It ignores ordinary issues, unmapped repositories, and comments from other bots.

How Ren writes code

Who Ren commits as depends on the project’s space:

  • Shared spaces: Ren’s commits and comments show the Ren app as the author, not the person who mentioned Ren.
  • Personal space: Commits and comments use your GitHub account. To connect it, open Settings → Mentions and select Connect your GitHub account on the GitHub row marked Needs attention.

Ren matches the commenter by their public GitHub email. If no Ren account matches, it uses the repository’s fallback sender. If neither belongs to the project’s space, Ren explains the rejection in a comment and doesn’t act. See Who Ren acts as.

FAQ

Which comments continue the same chat?

Every mention on the same pull request continues one chat, including replies to Ren’s own comments. A mention on a different pull request starts another.

Where does Ren work on the code?

On the machine of the project’s space. Each chat gets its own working directory there, so several chats can work on the same repository at once.

Can Ren work on a specific branch?

Yes. On a pull request, Ren works on that pull request’s branch. In any chat, you can tell Ren which branch to check out.

What happens when Ren needs permission?

GitHub chats deny actions that need approval and continue without them. Configure project permissions before sending requests.