GitHub PR Review Assistant

Automatically review pull requests using an OpenHands agent.

Use the GitHub PR Review Assistant when you want Agent Canvas to watch pull requests and have an OpenHands agent review them.

The setup has two parts:

• Give the active backend access to GitHub
• Start the pre-built PR review workflow from Automate

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

• Agent Canvas installed and running
• An LLM configured for the backend that will run the automation
• Access to create a GitHub token for the repository you want to review
• Access to install MCP servers and save secrets in Agent Canvas

If you are new to Agent Canvas, start with Install and First-Time Setup.

Create a GitHub Access Token

1. Go to GitHub Developer Settings.
2. Click Generate new token.
3. Prefer a fine-grained personal access token if your organization supports it.
4. Give the token a clear name, such as Agent Canvas PR Reviewer.
5. Select repository access:
   • Choose Only select repositories for the safest setup.
   • Choose All repositories only if the automation needs broad access.
6. Set an expiration date that matches your team’s security policy.

Add Repository Permissions

In the token setup screen, grant the permissions the reviewer needs.

For a PR review automation, use:

Permission	Access
Contents	Read and write
Issues	Read and write
Pull requests	Read and write
Metadata	Read-only
Actions	Read-only, if the automation should inspect CI results
Checks	Read-only, if the automation should inspect check runs

Then click Generate token and copy the token immediately.

GitHub only shows the token once. Store it somewhere secure until you finish configuring Agent Canvas.

Add the GitHub MCP Server

The GitHub MCP server gives the agent tools for reading repositories, inspecting pull requests, and posting review output.

1. In Agent Canvas, check the backend switcher in the bottom-left corner.
2. Make sure the active backend is the backend where you want the PR review automation to run.
3. Open Customize.
4. Open MCP Servers.
5. Select GitHub from the MCP library.
6. Paste the GitHub token you created earlier.
7. Save the MCP server configuration.

Add the GitHub Token as a Secret

Some automations also need the token available as a backend secret, especially when the agent runs GitHub commands or accesses private repositories.

1. Open Settings.
2. Open Secrets.
3. Click Add a new Secret.
4. Set the secret name to GITHUB_TOKEN.
5. Paste the GitHub token as the secret value.
6. Save the secret.

Start the PR Review Workflow

1. Open Automate in the left navigation.
2. Find Start from a proven workflow.
3. Choose the GitHub PR review workflow.
4. Agent Canvas opens a new conversation with a prefilled setup prompt.
5. Send the prompt as-is, or edit it first if you already know what you want.

After you send the prompt, the agent starts a setup conversation. It uses the preconfigured skills and GitHub access to interview you, clarify the review workflow, and create the automation.

Customize the Review

You do not need to know every detail before sending the prefilled prompt. The agent will ask follow-up questions to clarify:

• The repository owner and name
• Which pull requests to review
• Whether the agent should post a single summary comment or detailed inline feedback
• Whether the agent should inspect CI results before commenting
• Any files, directories, or checks the reviewer should ignore

You can edit the prefilled prompt before sending it if you want to provide any of those details up front.

Verify the Automation

After the automation is created:

1. Open Automate.
2. Confirm the new automation appears in the list.
3. Open the automation details and check that it is enabled.
4. Trigger or wait for a matching pull request event.
5. Confirm that the agent run appears and that the review is posted to GitHub.

Related Guides

• GitHub Repository Monitor
• Setup a Pre-built Automation
• Customize and Settings