Documentation

Approval Modes

Choose how much of the pipeline runs without you in the loop, per connected repository.

Overview

Every repository Software Factory is connected to runs in one of two approval modes. This is a per-repo setting, changeable at any time from the web UI.

Supervised mode

A human approves each pipeline-stage transition before the pipeline continues: triage → spec → implement → review → done. After each stage completes, the issue sits waiting on the Kanban board until you click approve.

Use Supervised mode when you're first connecting a repo, or for repos where you want to review the generated spec before any code gets written.

Auto mode

The whole pipeline runs unattended, from bug or feature discovery through opening the pull request — no approval clicks required at any stage. This is what makes overnight, unattended bug fixing and feature delivery possible: file an issue (or let the bug-finder skill find one), and wake up to a pull request.

Auto mode still stops at "pull request opened" — Software Factory never merges its own PRs. A human always reviews and merges.

Switching modes

Change a repo's approval mode any time from its settings in the web UI. Issues already in flight continue under the mode active when they entered their current stage; new stage transitions after the switch follow the new mode.