The merge button isn't the finish line - it's a starting gun. When code enters the main branch, a cascade of tasks should follow: changelogs need updating, documentation needs deploying, issues need closing, metrics need recording, and downstream systems need notifying. Most of this happens manually, inconsistently, or not at all.
Devonair changes that. When a PR merges, Devonair's AI automatically handles the post-merge workflow - updating records, notifying systems, and maintaining the organizational artifacts that too often fall out of sync with the code.
This guide covers everything Devonair does when a PR merges - the automation that transforms merge from an ending into a coordinated beginning.
The Post-Merge Problem
Why merge should trigger automation.
The Forgotten Tasks
What should happen after merge:
Post-merge tasks (often forgotten):
- Update changelog
- Close related issues
- Update project boards
- Notify stakeholders
- Deploy documentation
- Trigger dependent updates
- Record metrics
These tasks are important but easily forgotten. They're done inconsistently or not at all.
The Sync Problem
Systems drift apart:
Without post-merge automation:
- Changelog outdated
- Issues still open
- Documentation stale
- Metrics inaccurate
- Dependencies unaware
Manual synchronization fails because humans have other priorities. Devonair doesn't forget.
The Ceremony Burden
Manual tasks slow teams:
Manual post-merge burden:
- Developer writes changelog entry
- Developer closes issues
- Developer updates boards
- Developer notifies team
- Developer moves to next task
- Eventually forgets steps
Every manual task is time not spent on valuable work. Devonair handles the ceremony.
The Quality Gap
Inconsistent quality:
Manual post-merge quality:
- Some entries detailed
- Some entries missing
- Some issues closed
- Some notifications sent
- Inconsistent organizational record
Devonair applies consistent quality to every merge.
What Devonair Does on PR Merged
Comprehensive post-merge automation.
Changelog Generation
Devonair writes changelog entries automatically:
@devonair generate changelog on merge:
- Analyze merged changes
- Determine change type (feature, fix, improvement)
- Generate appropriate entry
- Update CHANGELOG.md
- Maintain consistent format
Devonair's AI examines the PR - its title, description, changes, and labels - to understand what was accomplished. It then generates a changelog entry that accurately describes the change.
The generated entries follow your changelog format. If you use Keep a Changelog format, Devonair follows it. If you have a custom format, Devonair adapts.
Issue Management
Devonair closes and updates issues:
@devonair manage issues on merge:
- Identify linked issues
- Close completed issues
- Add resolution notes
- Update partially-addressed issues
- Maintain issue accuracy
When a PR that addresses issue #123 merges, Devonair closes issue #123 automatically. It adds a note referencing the PR and explaining the resolution.
For issues that are partially addressed, Devonair updates them without closing, noting what was accomplished and what remains.
Documentation Deployment
Devonair triggers documentation updates:
@devonair deploy documentation on merge:
- Detect documentation changes
- Trigger documentation builds
- Deploy updated docs
- Update API references
- Maintain doc/code sync
When code that affects documentation merges, Devonair ensures the documentation updates too. No more outdated docs because someone forgot to deploy.
Devonair can trigger static site generators, update API documentation from code, and deploy to documentation hosting - whatever your documentation pipeline requires.
Project Tracking Updates
Devonair keeps project management accurate:
@devonair update tracking on merge:
- Move JIRA tickets to done
- Update GitHub Projects
- Advance Slack workflows
- Maintain board accuracy
Project boards reflect reality when Devonair updates them on every merge. Tickets move to done automatically. Sprint tracking stays accurate.
Downstream Notifications
Devonair alerts dependent systems:
@devonair notify downstream on merge:
- Identify downstream dependencies
- Send appropriate notifications
- Trigger dependency update PRs
- Maintain cross-repo awareness
When a library updates, consumers should know. Devonair identifies downstream dependencies and notifies them, or even creates PRs to update their dependency references.
Metrics Recording
Devonair tracks what matters:
@devonair record metrics on merge:
- Calculate coverage changes
- Update code health scores
- Track velocity metrics
- Record quality indicators
- Maintain historical data
Every merge affects metrics. Devonair calculates and records these automatically, maintaining accurate historical data.
Release Preparation
Devonair prepares for releases:
@devonair prepare release on merge:
- Assess release readiness
- Update version information
- Prepare release notes
- Stage release artifacts
For teams that release frequently, Devonair can prepare release artifacts on every merge, keeping the codebase release-ready.
Changelog Automation in Detail
How Devonair handles changelogs.
Change Type Detection
Devonair categorizes changes:
@devonair change categorization:
Features:
- New functionality
- New capabilities
- User-facing additions
Fixes:
- Bug corrections
- Error handling
- Behavior corrections
Improvements:
- Performance enhancements
- Code quality improvements
- Developer experience
Maintenance:
- Dependency updates
- Refactoring
- Technical debt
AI analyzes the PR to understand what type of change it represents, then categorizes appropriately.
Entry Generation
Devonair writes meaningful entries:
@devonair changelog entry generation:
- Clear, concise description
- User-focused language
- Appropriate detail level
- Consistent style
Generated entries are readable and informative. They describe what changed and why it matters, not just that something changed.
Format Compliance
Devonair follows your format:
@devonair format compliance:
Keep a Changelog:
- [Type] - Description
- Grouped by type
- Dated appropriately
Conventional Changelog:
- Type(scope): description
- Linked to commits
Custom formats:
- Learned from examples
- Consistent application
Whatever changelog format you use, Devonair follows it consistently.
Version Management
Devonair handles versioning:
@devonair version handling:
- Determine version impact
- Suggest version bump type
- Update version references
- Maintain version consistency
Different changes warrant different version bumps. Devonair assesses this and manages version updates appropriately.
Issue Management in Detail
How Devonair handles issues.
Automatic Linking
Devonair identifies related issues:
@devonair issue identification:
- Parse PR for issue references
- Identify closing keywords
- Detect partial references
- Map relationships
Devonair finds issue references in PR titles, descriptions, commit messages, and branch names. Its AI understands both explicit references (#123) and closing keywords (fixes #123, closes #456).
Smart Closing
Devonair closes appropriately:
@devonair smart closing:
- Close fully-addressed issues
- Update partially-addressed issues
- Add resolution context
- Maintain accuracy
Not every referenced issue should close. Devonair distinguishes between full and partial resolution, handling each appropriately.
Resolution Notes
Devonair documents resolutions:
@devonair resolution documentation:
- Link to merging PR
- Summarize the fix
- Note related changes
- Enable future reference
Closed issues have clear documentation of how they were resolved. Future developers can understand the solution.
Cross-Repository Issues
Devonair handles issues across repositories:
@devonair cross-repo issues:
- Identify cross-repo references
- Update external issues
- Maintain cross-repo links
- Coordinate multi-repo work
For organizations with multiple repositories, Devonair can update issues across repo boundaries.
Documentation Deployment in Detail
How Devonair keeps docs current.
Change Detection
Devonair identifies documentation impact:
@devonair doc change detection:
- Detect doc file changes
- Identify code changes affecting docs
- Find API signature changes
- Assess documentation impact
Devonair knows when documentation needs updating - whether because docs changed directly or because code they describe changed.
Build Triggers
Devonair triggers appropriate builds:
@devonair documentation builds:
- Trigger static site generators
- Build API documentation
- Generate code examples
- Compile documentation
Whatever your documentation build process requires, Devonair can trigger it.
Deployment Coordination
Devonair manages deployment:
@devonair doc deployment:
- Deploy to hosting
- Update CDN caches
- Verify deployment success
- Report deployment status
Documentation deploys with code, automatically. No manual deployment steps, no forgotten updates.
Version Documentation
Devonair maintains version-specific docs:
@devonair versioned documentation:
- Update current version docs
- Maintain historical versions
- Update version selectors
- Manage doc versioning
For versioned documentation, Devonair ensures the right versions update appropriately.
Integration Workflows
Connecting to external systems.
JIRA Integration
Devonair updates JIRA automatically:
@devonair JIRA integration:
- Transition tickets to done
- Add resolution information
- Update custom fields
- Maintain JIRA accuracy
JIRA tickets stay accurate because Devonair updates them on every merge.
Slack Notifications
Devonair keeps teams informed:
@devonair Slack notifications:
- Announce merges to appropriate channels
- Include relevant context
- Tag interested parties
- Enable celebration
Teams know when important PRs merge. Devonair sends appropriate notifications.
GitHub Integration
Devonair maximizes GitHub features:
@devonair GitHub integration:
- Update GitHub Projects
- Manage GitHub Issues
- Trigger GitHub Actions
- Leverage GitHub capabilities
Devonair uses GitHub's capabilities fully, keeping projects, issues, and workflows synchronized.
Configuration Options
Customizing merge automation.
Automation Selection
Choose what Devonair automates:
@devonair merge automation selection:
Always run:
- Changelog generation
- Issue closing
- Metrics recording
Conditional:
- Documentation deployment (when docs change)
- Downstream notifications (for releases)
- Version updates (for significant changes)
Optional:
- External integrations
- Custom workflows
- Extended automation
Not every automation makes sense for every merge. Configure Devonair to match your needs.
Changelog Configuration
Customize changelog behavior:
@devonair changelog configuration:
- Entry format
- Categorization rules
- Version handling
- File location
Make Devonair's changelog generation match your existing practices.
Integration Settings
Configure external connections:
@devonair integration settings:
- JIRA project mapping
- Slack channel routing
- Notification rules
- Access credentials
Connect Devonair to your existing tools and workflows.
Notification Preferences
Control who gets notified:
@devonair notification preferences:
- Merge notifications
- Downstream alerts
- Error notifications
- Summary reports
Get the notifications that matter, not notification spam.
Measuring Post-Merge Value
Understanding Devonair's merge impact.
Automation Metrics
Track what Devonair handles:
@devonair merge metrics:
- Changelog entries generated
- Issues closed automatically
- Documentation deployments triggered
- Notifications sent
Quantify the work Devonair does so you understand its value.
Consistency Metrics
Track quality improvement:
@devonair consistency metrics:
- Changelog completeness
- Issue closure rate
- Documentation freshness
- Tracking accuracy
Devonair's greatest value is consistency. Track how complete and accurate organizational artifacts become.
Time Savings
Quantify efficiency gains:
@devonair time savings:
- Manual tasks automated
- Developer time saved
- Ceremony time eliminated
Every automated task is time developers spend on valuable work instead.
Real Scenarios
How Devonair handles common merge situations.
The Feature Merge
A new feature PR merges:
Scenario: Feature PR merges
@devonair response:
- Generate feature changelog entry
- Close feature request issues
- Deploy updated documentation
- Update project tracking
- Notify feature stakeholders
- Record feature metrics
Feature merges get comprehensive treatment - changelog, issues, docs, tracking, notifications.
The Bug Fix Merge
A bug fix PR merges:
Scenario: Bug fix PR merges
@devonair response:
- Generate fix changelog entry
- Close bug report issues
- Update affected documentation
- Update tracking
- Notify reporters
Bug fixes get appropriate treatment - focused on resolution and notification.
The Dependency Update
A dependency update PR merges:
Scenario: Dependency update merges
@devonair response:
- Generate maintenance changelog entry
- Note security implications
- Update dependency documentation
- Assess downstream impact
- Record dependency metrics
Dependency updates need specific handling - security context and downstream awareness.
The Release Preparation
A release-qualifying PR merges:
Scenario: Release-qualifying PR merges
@devonair response:
- Prepare release notes
- Stage release artifacts
- Update version information
- Notify release coordinators
- Ready for release
When configured for release preparation, Devonair keeps the codebase release-ready.
Best Practices
Maximizing merge automation value.
Write Good PR Descriptions
Help Devonair understand:
Best practice:
- Clear PR titles
- Meaningful descriptions
- Proper issue references
- Appropriate labels
Better PR content enables better automation. Devonair works best with clear inputs.
Review Generated Content
Verify Devonair's output:
Best practice:
- Check changelog entries
- Verify issue closures
- Review notifications
- Correct when needed
Devonair is good but not perfect. Review ensures quality.
Maintain Integration Health
Keep integrations working:
Best practice:
- Monitor integration status
- Update credentials as needed
- Fix integration errors
- Maintain connection health
Integrations need maintenance. Keep them healthy for reliable automation.
Getting Started
Enable merge automation with Devonair.
Enable Merge Triggers
Activate Devonair on merge:
@devonair enable merge triggers:
1. Configure PR merge webhook
2. Set automation preferences
3. Configure integrations
4. Test with a merge
Merge triggers are the foundation of post-merge automation.
Configure Core Automation
Start with essentials:
@devonair core configuration:
Start: Changelog generation
Add: Issue management
Add: Project tracking
Then: Documentation deployment
Then: External integrations
Build up automation gradually, validating each addition.
Connect Integrations
Link external systems:
@devonair integration setup:
- Connect JIRA if used
- Configure Slack notifications
- Set up GitHub integration
- Add custom integrations
Integrations multiply Devonair's value by keeping all systems synchronized.
Monitor and Improve
Continuously refine:
@devonair continuous improvement:
- Monitor automation results
- Gather team feedback
- Adjust configuration
- Expand successful patterns
Post-merge automation should evolve with your team's needs.
Merging is the beginning, not the end. Devonair ensures that when code enters your main branch, everything else updates too - changelogs, issues, documentation, tracking, and notifications. The organizational artifacts that usually drift stay synchronized. The ceremonial tasks that usually fall through the cracks get handled. Every merge triggers a coordinated workflow that keeps everything in sync.
FAQ
Does Devonair delay merges?
No. Devonair runs asynchronously after merge. The merge completes immediately; Devonair handles post-merge tasks in the background. Developers don't wait.
What if Devonair generates wrong changelog entries?
Devonair's entries can be edited. They provide a starting point that's usually accurate, but human review can catch and correct errors. Over time, Devonair learns your patterns.
How does Devonair handle merge queues?
Devonair works with merge queues, processing each merge as it completes. Queue position doesn't affect post-merge automation.
Can Devonair handle squash merges?
Yes. Devonair handles squash merges, merge commits, and rebase merges. It analyzes the resulting change regardless of merge strategy.
What about protected branches and required reviews?
Devonair operates after merge, so protection rules don't affect it. It doesn't bypass any security - it just handles what happens after the merge completes.