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Coding runs and delivery

Coding runs and delivery

Coding agents can change code in your repositories for a task, an epic or a repository. Helpin's built-in coding agents are Forge, which builds changes, and Lens, which reviews them. Custom agents can also be set up for repository work.

Coding agents are not available in the Community edition.

Before you start

  • Connect GitHub or GitLab and add the repositories agents may use. See Workspace repositories.

  • Set your team's delivery defaults in Settings → Projects → Delivery: the repository, the default base branch, and the Branch template used to name task branches. The template can use {task_key}, {workspace_key}, {display_id}, {slug} and {task_type}.

Check a task's delivery setup

Open the task and look at its Delivery panel.

  • Execution context shows the Base branch and the Working branch the agent will use. Select Edit context to change them.

  • The panel shows the Repository, Last Commit and Pull Request for the task.

Run a coding agent

  1. On the task, choose an agent and select Run. You can also start a run from Automation → Agents with Run now.

  2. Under Repository delivery, choose how changes should be delivered (see the table below).

  3. Start the run.

Option

What happens

Publish changes

Push repository changes and open a pull request after the run succeeds.

Preview changes

Keep repository changes local. No automatic push or pull request.

Coding runs may wait in a queue before they start. The run dialog tells you when this applies.

What happens during a run

The agent works in its own copy of the repository, on the task's working branch. It can read and edit files, run commands and use the tools it has been given. It may pause to ask before running a command or changing files; see Respond to approvals and questions during a run.

Open the run to watch the transcript, the files it changed and any previews.

Delivery states

The task's Delivery panel shows where the work is:

State

Meaning

Not configured

No repository is set for this task.

Configured

Ready for an agent to work.

Changes pushed

Commits are on the working branch.

PR open

A pull request is open.

PR merged

The pull request was merged.

PR closed without merging

The pull request was closed.

PR publishing failed

Helpin couldn't open the pull request.

Delivery progress on the task lists each run, commit, branch and pull request, with Open run, View commit, View branch and View PR links.

Check the outcome

A completed run means the agent finished. It doesn't guarantee the pull request was opened. Check the Delivery panel for the pull request before you move on. To learn how pull request events can update the task, see Closed-loop agent delivery.

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