The outcome

Complete a bounded code change whose implementation and validation your team understands.

Devin is a autonomous AI software engineering agent. Investigating codebases, implementing scoped engineering tasks, producing pull requests, and standardizing repeatable work with Knowledge and Playbooks. This guide narrows that broad capability into one repeatable outcome, with checkpoints that keep the source material and your judgment in the loop.

Before you begin

Set the boundary before the tool starts.

Choose one real task, identify who will use the result, and decide what evidence or test will make the result acceptable. Gather only the source material needed for that task. If the work contains confidential, personal, regulated, or client-owned information, confirm that the platform and account are approved before sharing it.

Troiana principle

AI should make the work easier to inspect. If the workflow removes the source, the owner, or the review step, redesign the workflow.

Step by step

A workflow you can repeat.

  1. 01

    Index the correct repository and inspect its branch, status, instructions, secrets, and standard checks.

  2. 02

    Start in Ask mode to investigate the code and agree on acceptance criteria and a file-level plan.

  3. 03

    Move to Agent mode only after the task is small enough, naming forbidden changes and required human approvals.

  4. 04

    Monitor shell, browser, file, and Git activity, answering blockers without widening the assignment.

  5. 05

    Review the diff, tests, security impact, dependencies, and Session Insights before merging the pull request.

Working standard

What good use looks like.

  • Ask before Agent.
  • Keep one objective per session.
  • Never merge an unexplained diff.

Devin can use shells, browsers, secrets, integrations, and Git. Apply least privilege, scope sessions tightly, keep production actions human-approved, and review every code and dependency change.

Official references

Check the current product documentation.

Features, plan limits, availability, and data controls change. These official pages are the starting points used for this collection.