GitHub in Slack and Teams now supports working across multiple repositories within a single conversation, reducing the need to switch threads when coordinating across projects.
- Create issues from conversations across repos
- Make code changes in one repo and open a PR in another
- Aggregate PRs from multiple repos to review at once
- Investigate issues using code from frontend and backend repos
HOW TO USE IT: CROSS-REPO ACTIONS IN PRACTICE
Prompts can act across repositories directly from Slack or Teams, without leaving the chat. You can reference the relevant repository context and attached threads or messages.
- Create an issue in a repository using the thread’s context
- Fix a bug in a repository and open a PR with the changes
- Request a view of open PRs across multiple repositories and identify ones needing attention
- Investigate a multi-repo issue by pulling in code from related repos
WHY THIS MATTERS: USABILITY AND RELIABILITY GAINS
The update includes several usability and reliability improvements designed to smooth cross-repo coordination, including more flexible mentions, easier switching between repositories, better use of Slack's shared context, and improved task reliability.
- More natural conversations: Mention @GitHub anywhere in your message, not just at the beginning.
- Smoother repository switching: Move between repositories more easily during a conversation.
- Better Slack conversation context: @GitHub can reference shared Slack messages and threads without copying and pasting.
- Improved reliability: Improvements to reduce errors, speed task startup, and help Copilot recover from interruptions.
WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR TEAMS AND NEXT STEPS
Our analysis suggests the update could lower coordination overhead for teams that work across multiple repositories by enabling cross-repo actions within a single conversation, potentially simplifying tracking and updates across projects.
This could indicate a broader shift toward integrating developer workflows across collaboration tools, with Copilot-related cross-repo capabilities reinforcing a multi-tool perspective on cross-repo work.
- Monitor for rollout timelines or prerequisites in official channels
- Consider how cross-repo prompts could fit into your team's Slack/Teams workflows
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- Developer Tools articles
