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GitHub Copilot Dev Days Workshop Session

"From Code to Automation: Mastering GitHub Agentic Workflows"

Event Page Description

Transform Your Development Workflow with AI-Powered Automation

Discover how GitHub Agentic Workflows bridges the gap between AI capabilities and practical repository automation. In this hands-on workshop, you'll learn to write intelligent workflows in natural language that continuously improve your codebase—no complex YAML required.

What You'll Learn:

  • Write workflows in plain English that understand your repository
  • Automate continuous improvements: testing, documentation, refactoring, and CI/CD enhancements
  • Support daily development rituals: standups, issue triage, and release planning
  • Progress from simple automations to sophisticated multi-step workflows
  • Implement modern engineering practices without the complexity

What You'll Build: Using the multi-language CopilotAdventures repository, you'll create real workflows that:

  • Generate daily repository insights for standups
  • Automatically improve test coverage
  • Triage and plan issues using AI
  • Keep documentation synchronized with code
  • Coach your CI/CD pipelines to prevent failures

Workshop Format:

  • No experience required - we'll start from scratch
  • Hands-on, practical exercises with immediate results
  • Progressive learning from simple to sophisticated
  • Work on your own repository (created from CopilotAdventures) you can continue using after
  • Learn three approaches: interactive CLI, cloud agent, and VS Code agent

Prerequisites:

  • Laptop with ability to install software
  • GitHub account (free)
  • GitHub Copilot access (trial available)
  • Basic familiarity with Git and GitHub

Duration: 2.5+ hours

What to Bring: Your curiosity and a willingness to let AI help you automate the boring stuff! Leave with a new repository in your GitHub account containing working agentic workflows and the knowledge to build more.

Short Description (for calendar/social)

Learn to automate repository maintenance with GitHub Agentic Workflows. Write intelligent automations in natural language that improve code quality, manage issues, and support your daily development rituals. Hands-on workshop using the CopilotAdventures repository. All skill levels welcome.

Session Tags

github-copilot automation ai-assisted-development devops continuous-improvement workflows hands-on beginner-friendly

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  1. Install and configure GitHub Agentic Workflows CLI and extensions
  2. Write workflows in natural language using three different approaches (CLI, cloud agent, VS Code agent)
  3. Implement automation patterns for continuous improvement, issue management, and documentation maintenance
  4. Understand triggering mechanisms (scheduled, issue_comment, push events)
  5. Apply guardrails for safe AI automation in repositories
  6. Reuse and adapt workflows from other repositories
  7. Progress from simple to sophisticated multi-step agentic workflows

Facilitator Quick Reference

Key Teaching Moments:

  1. CLI vs Cloud vs Initialized Agent - Emphasize the quality difference
  2. Guardrails First - Read-only by default, safe-outputs for writes
  3. Problem → Automation - Don't automate for automation's sake
  4. Progressive Disclosure - Start simple, add complexity when needed
  5. Natural Language Power - Reference docs with URLs in prompts

Common Pitfalls:

  • Participants rushing through setup without authentication
  • Not enabling proper Actions permissions
  • Trying to create overly complex workflows first
  • Forgetting to push initial code before workflows run
  • Not understanding safe-outputs concept

Backup Plans:

  • Pre-created PAT tokens if participants struggle
  • Example repository with working workflows
  • Partner system if someone gets stuck
  • Pre-recorded demo if live demo fails

Target Audience

Primary:

  • Mid-level developers wanting to improve team efficiency
  • DevOps/Platform engineers looking for automation patterns
  • Open source maintainers managing community contributions
  • Tech leads implementing continuous improvement practices

Secondary:

  • Junior developers learning modern development workflows
  • Engineering managers exploring AI-assisted processes
  • Developer advocates demonstrating GitHub capabilities

Not ideal for:

  • Complete programming beginners (recommend intro workshops first)
  • Teams without GitHub Copilot access (although trial can be started)

Materials Needed

Provided by Organizer:

  • Projector/screen for live demos
  • WiFi information
  • Power outlets for participants
  • Printed reference handouts (optional)

Participant Requirements:

  • Laptop (Windows, Mac, or Linux)
  • Admin rights to install software
  • GitHub account
  • GitHub Copilot license or trial

Digital Assets:

  • Facilitator guide (detailed timing and scripts)
  • Participant handout (command reference)
  • Slide deck (introduction presentation)
  • Example workflow library

Follow-up Resources

Continuing the Journey:

Workshop Feedback:

  • Post-workshop survey (Google Forms)
  • GitHub Discussion for continued questions
  • Community Luma calendar for future events