Not every pull request merges. Some are superseded by better approaches. Some represent experiments that didn't pan out. Some become obsolete as requirements change. When a PR closes without merging, most teams just move on - losing the knowledge embedded in that work.
Devonair treats closed PRs differently. When a PR closes without merging, Devonair uses AI to capture the knowledge, document the decision, and clean up artifacts. Nothing valuable disappears just because the code didn't merge.
This guide covers what Devonair does when PRs close - the knowledge capture, the cleanup, and the organizational intelligence that prevents repeat mistakes and preserves institutional wisdom.
The Closed PR Problem
Why closed PRs deserve attention.
Lost Knowledge
Closed PRs contain information:
Information in closed PRs:
- Approaches that were tried
- Why they didn't work
- Decisions that were made
- Context that informed choices
When PRs close and no one captures this information, it vanishes. Future developers may repeat the same failed approaches.
Hidden Context
Closures have reasons:
Why PRs close:
- Requirements changed
- Better approach emerged
- Timing became wrong
- Resources shifted
- Technical blockers discovered
These reasons matter. They inform future decisions. Without capture, they're lost when memory fades.
Organizational Amnesia
Teams forget what they tried:
Without knowledge capture:
- Same approaches attempted again
- Same failures repeated
- Same discussions rehashed
- No organizational learning
Devonair prevents this amnesia by capturing knowledge at closure.
Repository Debris
Closed PRs leave artifacts:
Artifacts from closed PRs:
- Abandoned branches
- Stale references
- Orphaned comments
- Lingering integrations
Without cleanup, repositories accumulate debris that clutters and confuses.
What Devonair Does on PR Closed
Comprehensive closure handling.
Closure Documentation
Devonair documents why PRs close:
@devonair document PR closure:
- Analyze closure context
- Identify apparent reasons
- Document the decision
- Link to alternatives if present
- Preserve for future reference
When a PR closes, Devonair's AI examines the context - the last comments, the timeline, the related activity - and documents what can be inferred about why it closed.
This documentation becomes searchable institutional knowledge. When someone asks "did we ever try X?", the answer is findable.
Pattern Extraction
Devonair identifies reusable elements:
@devonair extract patterns:
- Identify useful code patterns
- Flag potentially reusable components
- Note approaches worth remembering
- Separate failure from failed approach
Just because a PR didn't merge doesn't mean everything in it was wrong. AI identifies elements that might be valuable in different contexts.
Sometimes an approach fails for timing or scope reasons, not technical ones. Devonair notes these patterns for potential future use.
Knowledge Capture
Devonair preserves learnings:
@devonair capture knowledge:
- Summarize what was attempted
- Document blockers encountered
- Note technical decisions made
- Record lessons learned
- Add to searchable knowledge base
Every closed PR teaches something. Devonair captures those lessons systematically, building a knowledge base that informs future work.
Branch Cleanup
Devonair tidies the repository:
@devonair branch cleanup:
- Delete source branch if configured
- Archive if preservation needed
- Update branch references
- Clean stale remote references
Abandoned branches clutter repositories. Devonair cleans them up automatically, keeping the repository organized without losing anything important.
Issue Updates
Devonair keeps issue tracking accurate:
@devonair update linked issues:
- Add closure notes to linked issues
- Update issue status appropriately
- Suggest alternative approaches
- Maintain tracking accuracy
Linked issues need to know when PRs close. Devonair updates them automatically, keeping project tracking accurate and informative.
Notification Handling
Devonair communicates appropriately:
@devonair closure notifications:
- Notify relevant stakeholders
- Provide closure summary
- Suggest next steps if applicable
- Respect notification preferences
When significant PRs close, stakeholders may need to know. Devonair handles notifications appropriately based on configuration.
Types of PR Closures
Different closure types get different treatment.
Superseded PRs
When a better approach emerges:
@devonair on superseded PR:
- Document this was superseded
- Link to the replacing PR
- Capture why the new approach is better
- Preserve comparison for future reference
Superseded PRs aren't failures - they're part of the development process. Devonair documents the transition and why the new approach won.
This creates valuable architectural documentation. Future developers understand not just what was chosen, but what alternatives existed and why they were rejected.
Abandoned PRs
When PRs are simply abandoned:
@devonair on abandoned PR:
- Analyze last activity
- Assess state at abandonment
- Document apparent reasons
- Flag for potential resurrection if valuable
Abandoned PRs happen for many reasons - developer left, priorities shifted, scope changed. Devonair documents what can be determined and marks valuable work for potential future use.
Rejected PRs
When PRs are explicitly rejected:
@devonair on rejected PR:
- Capture rejection reasoning
- Document decision makers
- Record concerns raised
- Preserve for future reference
Rejected PRs contain important organizational decisions. Devonair captures the reasoning so future developers understand why certain approaches aren't acceptable.
Duplicate PRs
When PRs duplicate other work:
@devonair on duplicate PR:
- Link to the original PR
- Document any unique elements
- Clean up without losing additions
- Prevent future duplication
Duplicate PRs indicate communication gaps. Devonair handles the cleanup while documenting to prevent recurrence.
Experimental PRs
When experiments don't pan out:
@devonair on experimental PR:
- Document what was tried
- Record experimental results
- Note why it didn't work
- Preserve learning for future experiments
Experiments are valuable even when they fail. Devonair captures experimental results as part of the organization's research record.
Knowledge Management
Building organizational intelligence.
Searchable History
Devonair makes closed PR knowledge findable:
@devonair searchable knowledge:
- Index closure documentation
- Tag with relevant topics
- Enable search across closures
- Support "did we try this?" queries
When developers wonder if something was tried before, they can find out. Devonair's documentation is searchable and organized.
Pattern Library
Devonair builds a library of patterns:
@devonair pattern library:
- Collect reusable patterns
- Note context where they work
- Document why they failed when they did
- Enable informed decisions
Over time, Devonair builds a library of approaches - both successful and unsuccessful - that informs future development.
Decision Record
Devonair maintains decision history:
@devonair decision record:
- Technical decisions documented
- Reasoning preserved
- Alternatives noted
- Future reference enabled
Architecture decisions often happen in PR discussions. Devonair captures these decisions even when the PR doesn't merge.
Lessons Database
Devonair accumulates lessons:
@devonair lessons learned:
- What worked, what didn't
- Why approaches failed
- What we'd do differently
- Institutional wisdom
Every closure teaches something. Devonair ensures those lessons accumulate into organizational wisdom.
Repository Maintenance
Keeping the repository clean.
Branch Management
Devonair handles branches systematically:
@devonair branch management:
Auto-delete:
- Branches older than threshold
- Branches with merged targets
- Branches marked for cleanup
Archive:
- Significant work
- Reference implementations
- Historical importance
Preserve:
- Active development
- Protected branches
- Configured exceptions
Devonair balances cleanup with preservation, handling each branch according to its context and value.
Reference Cleanup
Devonair removes stale references:
@devonair reference cleanup:
- Remove references to merged/deleted branches
- Update documentation links
- Clean CI/CD references
- Maintain reference integrity
Stale references confuse developers and waste time. Devonair keeps references current.
Integration Maintenance
Devonair handles integration artifacts:
@devonair integration cleanup:
- Close related integration PRs
- Update dependent systems
- Notify affected pipelines
- Maintain integration health
Closed PRs can leave orphaned integration artifacts. Devonair cleans these up systematically.
Configuration Options
Customizing closure handling.
Cleanup Policies
Configure what gets cleaned:
@devonair cleanup policy:
Aggressive:
- Delete branches immediately
- Minimal preservation
- Maximum tidiness
Conservative:
- Preserve by default
- Archive significant work
- Delete only clear cases
Selective:
- Rules per pattern
- Different treatment per path
- Customized handling
Teams have different preferences for repository cleanliness. Devonair adapts to yours.
Documentation Depth
Configure documentation detail:
@devonair documentation depth:
Minimal:
- Basic closure note
- Link to PR
- Simple record
Standard:
- Closure analysis
- Pattern extraction
- Searchable documentation
Comprehensive:
- Full analysis
- Detailed lessons
- Complete knowledge capture
Some teams want minimal overhead; others want complete knowledge capture. Devonair scales accordingly.
Notification Settings
Configure who gets notified:
@devonair notification settings:
Notify on closure:
- PR author always
- Reviewers optionally
- Stakeholders for significant PRs
Notification content:
- Closure summary
- Next steps if applicable
- Knowledge capture reference
Notifications should inform without overwhelming. Configure to match your team's needs.
Measuring Closure Value
Understanding Devonair's impact on closed PRs.
Knowledge Metrics
Track knowledge capture:
@devonair knowledge metrics:
- Closed PRs documented
- Patterns extracted
- Knowledge searches performed
- Repeat attempts prevented
Devonair's value in preventing repeated work is significant but hard to see. Track it explicitly.
Cleanup Metrics
Track repository health:
@devonair cleanup metrics:
- Branches cleaned
- References updated
- Repository size impact
- Developer time saved on navigation
Clean repositories are easier to work with. Quantify the cleanup value.
Decision Metrics
Track decision documentation:
@devonair decision metrics:
- Decisions documented
- Historical queries answered
- Architectural context preserved
Decision documentation prevents rehashing. Track how often this knowledge gets used.
Real Scenarios
How Devonair handles common closure situations.
The Superseded Approach
A PR is closed because a better approach was found:
Scenario: Better approach emerged
@devonair response:
- Document this PR was superseded
- Link to the replacing approach
- Capture comparison and reasoning
- Clean up obsolete branch
- Update linked issues
Future developers will understand why this approach wasn't used and what replaced it.
The Organizational Shift
A PR closes because priorities changed:
Scenario: Priority shift closed viable PR
@devonair response:
- Document the timing context
- Preserve the work as potentially valuable
- Note that closure wasn't technical
- Flag for potential resurrection
- Archive rather than delete
Good work that closes for non-technical reasons shouldn't be lost. Devonair preserves it for potential future use.
The Technical Blocker
A PR closes because of discovered technical impossibility:
Scenario: Technical blocker discovered
@devonair response:
- Document the blocker clearly
- Record what was learned
- Note approaches that won't work
- Prevent future repetition
- Clean up thoroughly
Technical blockers are valuable knowledge. Devonair ensures future developers don't hit the same wall.
The Scope Change
A PR closes because requirements evolved:
Scenario: Requirements changed
@devonair response:
- Document scope change
- Capture relevant portions
- Link to new requirements
- Note what's still applicable
- Clean up appropriately
Scope changes happen. Devonair ensures the work done isn't entirely lost.
Best Practices
Getting the most from closure automation.
Provide Closure Context
Help Devonair understand:
Best practice:
- Add closure comment explaining why
- Use consistent closure patterns
- Reference alternatives if they exist
- Enable better automation
The more context Devonair has, the better its documentation.
Review Captured Knowledge
Verify capture quality:
Best practice:
- Periodically review Devonair's documentation
- Correct inaccuracies
- Add missing context
- Improve over time
Devonair's documentation improves when you review and correct it.
Use the Knowledge Base
Make captured knowledge valuable:
Best practice:
- Search before starting new approaches
- Reference historical decisions
- Learn from past attempts
- Build on organizational wisdom
Knowledge captured but not used has no value. Use what Devonair preserves.
Getting Started
Enable closure automation with Devonair.
Enable Closure Triggers
Activate Devonair on PR close:
@devonair enable closure triggers:
1. Configure PR close webhook
2. Set documentation preferences
3. Define cleanup policies
4. Configure notifications
Closure triggers are the foundation of knowledge capture.
Configure Policies
Set your preferences:
@devonair configure closure:
- Documentation depth
- Cleanup aggressiveness
- Notification recipients
- Preservation rules
Align Devonair's behavior with your team's needs.
Monitor Results
Verify value:
@devonair monitor closure automation:
- Review documentation quality
- Check cleanup appropriateness
- Gather team feedback
- Adjust configuration
Continuous improvement ensures Devonair provides maximum value.
Closed PRs aren't endings - they're transitions. They contain knowledge, represent decisions, and leave artifacts. Devonair ensures that when a PR closes, the knowledge is captured, the decisions are documented, and the repository stays clean. Nothing valuable is lost just because code didn't merge.
FAQ
Doesn't documenting closed PRs create noise?
Devonair's documentation is organized and searchable, not scattered. It creates signal, not noise. When you need to know if something was tried before, you can find out without cluttering daily workflows.
What if we want to reopen a PR Devonair cleaned up?
Devonair archives rather than deletes when preservation might matter. If a branch needs resurrection, the work is recoverable. Configuration controls what gets deleted versus archived.
How does Devonair know why a PR was closed?
Devonair's AI analyzes context - comments, timeline, related activity, patterns. It makes informed inferences and documents them as inferences. You can add explicit closure context for more accurate documentation.
Does this add significant repository overhead?
Documentation is lightweight compared to code. The knowledge preservation value far exceeds the small storage overhead. Cleanup actually reduces repository size by removing abandoned branches.
What if closure reasons are sensitive?
Devonair respects privacy and can be configured to limit documentation detail or restrict access to closure records. Configure according to your organization's needs.