Connect a GitHub repository, and every agent gets its own branch
Install the Hoplite GitHub App, choose the repositories it can reach and turn them into a project. Each thread clones the repository into its own sandbox, works on its own branch and opens a pull request when you ask for one.
What does connecting a repository do?
Connecting a repository gives cloud coding agents a copy of your code to work in, without anyone's laptop in the loop. The agent reads, edits, tests and commits in a sandbox, then publishes its branch to GitHub for review.
In Hoplite, repository access comes from the workspace's GitHub App installation, and a project binds one or more repositories, each with its own base branch. Every cloud thread you start in that project gets a fresh workspace with the repository checked out on a branch that belongs to that thread alone.
Install once, choose the repositories
Install the Hoplite GitHub App on the account that owns the code and grant it the repositories you want. Then select one to create a project. Signing in with GitHub doesn't grant repository access; the App does. Contributors can also add repositories they can write to when the owner installed the App.
One project, several repositories
A project can bind several repositories, each set to its default branch or an explicit base branch, and you can add more after threads already exist. Agents can attach another project repository to a running thread, and the primary checkout is usable while the others prepare.
A fresh clone and a branch of its own
Each thread clones only the selected revision into its own sandbox, checks out its own hoplite/ branch and runs your setup commands from .hoplite/settings.json. Separate threads run concurrently in separate workspaces, and follow-up messages continue in the same one.
Credentials scoped to the project
Git and the GitHub CLI use a short-lived GitHub App installation token that covers the project's active repositories on that installation, never repositories outside it. The token lives in private configuration in the sandbox rather than in every command's environment. If the project's repositories change, it is reissued when the workspace next initializes.
Local agent vs. connected repository
| Question | Local agent setup | Hoplite connected repository |
|---|---|---|
| Where the code lives | The checkout on your machine | A fresh clone in each thread's sandbox |
| Parallel tasks | Worktrees you create and clean up | Separate workspaces that run concurrently |
| Branches | Named and switched by hand | Each thread starts on its own hoplite/ branch |
| Repository access | Your personal Git credentials | A short-lived GitHub App token scoped to the project |
| Several repositories | Cloned and wired up yourself | Bound to one project, each with its base branch |
| Closing the laptop | The agent stops | Cloud execution keeps going |
Repositories, answered
- Is signing in with GitHub enough to connect a repository?
- No. GitHub sign-in and repository access are separate. Install the Hoplite GitHub App on the account that owns the repository and grant it access, then select the repository to create a project.
- Can one project use more than one repository?
- Yes. A project can bind several repositories, each with its own base branch, and you can add repositories to a project that already has threads. New threads pick a repository and a branch or pull request within those bindings.
- Which branch does the agent work on?
- Each cloud thread starts from the revision you select and checks out a branch of its own, named hoplite/ followed by a short name derived from the thread. The agent commits there and pushes that branch when it publishes the work.
- Can two agents work in the same repository at once?
- Yes. Separate threads have separate workspaces and run concurrently. Their changes meet when branches are published or merged, so two threads editing the same code can still produce Git conflicts.
- What can the agent access on GitHub?
- A short-lived installation token covering the project's active repositories on the same installation and GitHub host. Repositories outside the project are never included, and the token's permissions are limited to what the installation has approved.
- Does deleting a project change my repository?
- No. Deleting a project removes it from Hoplite, along with its threads, sandboxes, automations and environment variables. The connected GitHub repository is not deleted or changed.
Connect a repository and start a thread
Install the GitHub App, pick a repository and hand the agent its first task. Start on Free.