Set up CodeFlow

CodeFlow ships without ms.config.json, without connector code and without any environment identifiers. This skill creates them for the user's own environment. Run every command from the sample folder (the one that contains package.json).

The app gets its own platform-managed git repository. Commit ms.config.json, generated/ and .ms/ to it with the rest of the app; only .env.local stays local (it is gitignored).

Background: Quickstart https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=2368962 and documentation https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=2372842 for Copilot Managed Runtime (public preview).

Prerequisites

• Node.js 24.11 or later, npm and git.
• Access to a Power Platform environment where the user can create apps on Copilot Managed Runtime.
• A GitHub account the app will act as (the GitHub connector signs in with it).
• The sample must be in its own folder, not inside a clone of the samples repository: that folder becomes the app's repository. If git rev-parse --show-toplevel succeeds in the sample folder, copy the folder out first (for example cp -r Copilot-Managed-Runtime/samples/CodeFlow my-codeflow; PowerShell: Copy-Item -Recurse) and continue from the copy.
• Install dependencies once: npm install.

Check the installed CLI before using any command below, because flags change between versions:

npx ms --help
npx ms app init --help
npx ms app add data-source --help

Step 1: Sign in

npx ms auth login

npx ms auth status shows cached accounts. Ask the user which environment to use if they have more than one, and note its environment id.

Step 2: Create the app

npx ms app init --display-name "CodeFlow" --icon-path ./public/codeflow-logo.png

Don't pass --repo: with no git repository in the folder, init creates the app's platform-managed git repository and sets it up as origin. Add --environment-id <id> to pick the environment without a prompt. Leave --build-path (./dist) and --build-command (npm run build) at their defaults.

This writes ms.config.json. Confirm it contains an appId, an environmentId and "repoType": "native" (npx ms app info shows the app).

Step 3: Apply app settings

CodeFlow draws its own header, so hide the host header:

npx ms app set-setting --show-header false

Step 4: Add the GitHub connector (always required)

CodeFlow reads and writes pull requests only through the public GitHub connector (shared_github). Add it as an action data source; the CLI prompts for (or creates) a GitHub connection and generates generated/:

npx ms app add data-source --connector shared_github --as action

If the CLI reports actions "skipped due to your organization's connector policy", continue: npm run check-setup (Step 6) reports any operation CodeFlow needs that is missing.

No other connectors are needed. The app uses exactly these GitHub connector operations (least privilege — do not add others): GetUser, GetPullRequest, GetPullRequests, MergePullRequest, SearchIssues, CompareRepositoryCommits, ListCollaborators, checkCollaborator, CreateReference, CreatePullRequest and SearchGithubWithQuery (GraphQL queries and mutations for comments, reviews, files, branches and cherry-pick commits).

If the generated service or method names differ from what src/connectors/github.ts expects, adapt only that file (it is the single module that imports generated/), then run npm run typecheck.

Step 5: Local configuration

cp .env.example .env.local

All values are optional. Leave VITE_GITHUB_HOST at https://github.com: the public GitHub connector this app uses talks to github.com. Set VITE_APP_URL to the deployed app URL (from npx ms app play) once the app is deployed, so shared deep links point at it.

Step 6: Verify and run

npm run check-setup   # must print "CodeFlow setup looks complete."
npm run typecheck
npm test
npm run dev           # or: npx ms app dev — open the "Local Play" URL it prints

Step 7: Commit and push

Commit everything (including ms.config.json, generated/ and .ms/) and push to the app's repository. Git asks the user to sign in the first time.

git fetch origin
git reset origin/main   # start from the new repository's initial commit; your files stay as they are
git branch -M main
git add -A
git commit -m "Set up CodeFlow"
git push -u origin main

Deploy only when the user asks, from a pushed commit: npm run build, then npx ms app deploy.

Storage

By default CodeFlow keeps its own data (seen marks, review notes, app-only approvals, notes/feedback, settings) in the browser (VITE_STORAGE_PROVIDER=local), and shows "Local mode: data stays in this browser". Nothing else is needed for local mode.

To share that data between people or devices (SharePoint lists, Dataverse, your own API), follow .github/skills/add-data-source/SKILL.md. Users can move existing data with Settings → Data → Export / Import.

Done checklist

• Sample in its own folder; ms.config.json created by npx ms app init (no --repo), with appId, environmentId and "repoType": "native"
• Host header hidden (npx ms app set-setting --show-header false)
• GitHub connector added; npm run check-setup passes
• .env.local created (optional values reviewed)
• npm run typecheck and npm test pass
• npm run dev opens the app and the dashboard loads pull requests
• Everything committed and pushed to origin