automation

Probot: Automate Workflow

Name: Probot: Automate Workflow
Author: probot

Automate tasks with Probot, a framework for startup founders. With 9.6k+ GitHub stars, simplify your GitHub workflow.

9,571 stars1,034 forksTypeScriptQuality 8/10Updated 6/22/2026100% free · open source

What it does

Probot automates tasks on GitHub by creating custom bots that can respond to events, such as issue comments or pull requests, to streamline workflow and reduce manual labor.

Install / run

npm install -g probot

When to use it

•When you need to automate repetitive tasks on GitHub, like labeling or assigning issues.
•When your GitHub workflow requires custom actions, such as sending notifications or creating issues based on specific conditions.
•When you want to integrate GitHub with other tools and services, such as project management software or chat platforms.

Quick start

1Create a new Probot app by running `probot init my-probot-app` and following the prompts to set up your app.
2Define your app's configuration in `probot.yml`, specifying the GitHub events your bot will respond to and the actions it will take.
3Write your bot's logic in `index.js`, using Probot's API to interact with GitHub and perform tasks.
4Run your bot locally with `probot run`, and test its behavior with `probot test`.
5Deploy your bot to a hosting platform, such as GitHub Actions or a cloud provider, to run it continuously and respond to events in real-time.

Ready-to-paste prompt

Create a Probot that automatically labels new issues with a 'needs-triage' label by running `probot create --label needs-triaged` and configuring the `probot.yml` file to respond to the 'issues' event.

Heads up: Before running Probot, you must create a GitHub App and obtain a private key, which you'll use to authenticate your bot with GitHub; you can do this by following the instructions in the Probot README under 'Authentication'.

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