automating-copilot-reviews

name	automating-copilot-reviews
description	Use when a PR needs Copilot code review and the full review-fix-rereview cycle should be handled autonomously

Automating Copilot Reviews

Automate the Copilot review cycle on a PR: request review, wait for completion, handle every comment, re-request, repeat until clean.

REQUIRED: Apply superpowers:receiving-code-review when evaluating each comment. Do NOT bulk-resolve threads without reading and evaluating them first.

The Loop

digraph copilot_loop {
    "Check for existing\nunresolved threads" [shape=box];
    "Threads already waiting?" [shape=diamond];
    "Request Copilot review" [shape=box];
    "Poll for review completion\n(30s interval, 10 min cap)" [shape=box];
    "Fetch unresolved threads\n(GraphQL)" [shape=box];
    "Unresolved threads?" [shape=diamond];
    "Evaluate each thread\n(receiving-code-review)" [shape=box];
    "Fix or reply,\nthen resolve each" [shape=box];
    "Commit and push fixes" [shape=box];
    "Round < 5?" [shape=diamond];
    "Done — report summary" [shape=doublecircle];
    "Surface remaining to user" [shape=box];

    "Check for existing\nunresolved threads" -> "Threads already waiting?";
    "Threads already waiting?" -> "Evaluate each thread\n(receiving-code-review)" [label="yes"];
    "Threads already waiting?" -> "Request Copilot review" [label="no"];
    "Request Copilot review" -> "Poll for review completion\n(30s interval, 10 min cap)";
    "Poll for review completion\n(30s interval, 10 min cap)" -> "Fetch unresolved threads\n(GraphQL)";
    "Fetch unresolved threads\n(GraphQL)" -> "Unresolved threads?";
    "Unresolved threads?" -> "Done — report summary" [label="none"];
    "Unresolved threads?" -> "Evaluate each thread\n(receiving-code-review)" [label="yes"];
    "Evaluate each thread\n(receiving-code-review)" -> "Fix or reply,\nthen resolve each";
    "Fix or reply,\nthen resolve each" -> "Commit and push fixes";
    "Commit and push fixes" -> "Round < 5?";
    "Round < 5?" -> "Request Copilot review" [label="yes"];
    "Round < 5?" -> "Surface remaining to user" [label="no"];
}

Bot Identity

The bot login differs between APIs:

API	Login
REST (/pulls/{pr}/reviews, /pulls/{pr}/comments)	copilot-pull-request-reviewer[bot]
GraphQL (author.login in review threads)	copilot-pull-request-reviewer

Using the wrong login silently returns zero results. Always use the table above.

Commands

Request review:

gh pr edit <PR> --add-reviewer @copilot

Poll for completion — compare latest Copilot review timestamp against when you requested:

gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pr}/reviews \
  --jq '[.[] | select(.user.login == "copilot-pull-request-reviewer[bot]")] | sort_by(.submitted_at) | last | .submitted_at'

Fetch unresolved threads:

gh api graphql -f query='{
  repository(owner: "{owner}", name: "{repo}") {
    pullRequest(number: {pr}) {
      reviewThreads(first: 100) {
        nodes {
          id
          isResolved
          comments(first: 10) {
            nodes { databaseId author { login } body path line }
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}'

Filter: isResolved == false AND first comment author is copilot-pull-request-reviewer.

Reply to a thread (use thread root's databaseId):

gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pr}/comments/{comment_id}/replies -f body="..."

Resolve a thread:

gh api graphql -f query='mutation { resolveReviewThread(input: {threadId: "{thread_node_id}"}) { thread { isResolved } } }'

Step-by-Step

1. Determine PR context: Get {owner}, {repo}, {pr} from current branch (gh pr view --json number,url) or user input.

2. Check for existing threads first: Fetch unresolved threads (GraphQL). If threads already exist from a prior review, skip to step 6 — don't request a new review when comments are already waiting.

3. Request review: gh pr edit <PR> --add-reviewer @copilot. Record the current timestamp.

4. Poll for completion: Every 30 seconds, check the reviews endpoint. When the latest Copilot review has submitted_at newer than your recorded timestamp, proceed. Timeout after 10 minutes — tell the user Copilot hasn't responded.

5. Fetch unresolved threads: GraphQL query, filter for Copilot-authored and unresolved. If zero → DONE. Report a summary of what was fixed, pushed back on, and how many rounds it took.

6. Evaluate EACH thread individually: Read the comment body, check the referenced file and line in the codebase, apply the receiving-code-review pattern (verify before implementing, push back if wrong, fix if correct). This is where the actual work happens.

7. For each thread:

   • Fix needed: Implement the fix, git add the affected file.
   • No fix needed: Reply in the thread with technical reasoning.
   • Either way: Resolve the thread with the GraphQL mutation. Copilot never auto-resolves.

8. Push: Commit all fixes and git push.

9. Loop: Go to step 3. Cap at 5 total rounds.

Edge Cases

Re-raised comments: Copilot may re-open resolved topics on re-review. Evaluate fresh — the fix may have introduced something new, or Copilot may be repeating itself. If repeating, reply explaining the prior resolution, resolve, and continue.

Timeout: If Copilot doesn't respond within 10 minutes, stop polling and tell the user. Don't silently retry.

No PR on current branch: If gh pr view fails, ask the user for the PR number. Don't guess.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Bulk-resolve without reading	Evaluate each thread per receiving-code-review first
Wrong bot login	See Bot Identity table — REST and GraphQL differ
Push after re-requesting review	Push fixes BEFORE re-requesting
gh pr comment for thread replies	Use pulls/{pr}/comments/{id}/replies — gh pr comment posts top-level comments
No round cap	Cap at 5 rounds to prevent infinite loops from re-raised comments
Silent polling forever	Timeout at 10 min and surface to user