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Cosine

Quickstart

Before you start - checklist

Section titled “Before you start - checklist”
  • ✅ Access to your GitHub to add integrations
  • ✅ Permission to read/write to at least one repo
  • ✅ (Optional) Your team’s task tool (Jira/Linear/Asana) and Slack
  • ✅ (Optional) A small, non‑critical task you’re happy to try first

Quick start in 10 steps

Section titled “Quick start in 10 steps”

  1. Create your account

    • Open the Cosine platform and sign up with your work email.

  2. Connect your code

    • Link your GitHub/other git provider and import one or more repos you want Cosine to work on (you can also start a new project from a template).

  3. Pick a project

    • From the Projects page (second tab at the top), select the repo/project you just imported.

  4. Tell Cosine what you want

    • Use the New task / prompt box. Be simple: describe the bug or feature and any acceptance criteria (what “done” looks like).

  5. (Optional) Kick off from Jira/Linear/Slack

    • Instead of typing a prompt, you can trigger tasks by tagging/labelling a ticket in Jira/Linear or by mentioning @cosine in a Slack thread. Details below.

  6. Start the task — then walk away

    • Cosine works asynchronously. Don’t babysit it. Queue several tasks if you like.

  7. Come back to review

    • Open the task to see what Cosine did: the plan, code changes and validation runs.

  8. Review the pull request (PR)

    • Read the diff, view test/CI status, and add comments if you want tweaks.

  9. Ask for changes or iterate

    • Type follow‑ups (e.g., “Make the button blue and add a test”). Cosine updates the branch/PR.

  10. Merge

    • When happy, merge the PR from Cosine or from your git host. To do this, select the PR icon on the right-hand side (second from the top) and click Merge. Done.

What are the icons on the Cosine platform?

Section titled “What are the icons on the Cosine platform?”

In order:

  • Explorer: allows you to look in and select specific files for Cosine to work in. You can search over file names and paths.
  • PR: allows you to view PRs and merge.
  • Source control: lets you view the code changes directly.
  • Search: lets you search in the actual code base of files.
  • Preview: shows you the impact of the change on the site.
  • Tickets: can integrate with Jira / Linear / Slack.
  • Workflows: shows you CI checks and their status.
  • Settings: lets you change the underlying model you’re using, and choose where to merge your PR into.

Common ways to give Cosine a task

Section titled “Common ways to give Cosine a task”

A. On the platform (fastest):

  • Open your project → New task / prompt → Describe the change → Submit.

B. From Jira/Linear:

  • Add your integration once.
  • On a ticket, apply the Cosine label/tag your workspace uses (e.g., “cosine”). That’s it — Cosine will pick it up and start.

C. From Slack:

  • In a relevant channel/thread, mention @cosine and say what you want (or ask it to take the ticket discussed above).
  • Or open the Cosine side‑panel in Slack to get the full app experience without leaving Slack.

What you’ll see on the platform

Section titled “What you’ll see on the platform”

  • Task timeline & plan

    • What it intends to do and why.

  • Code changes

    • Diffs grouped by file (Third icon on the right-hand side).

  • Validation

    • Local code execution and CI status for the PR (Second last icon on the right-hand side).

  • Controls

    • Ask for changes, re‑run, or merge when satisfied.

Tips that 10x results

Section titled “Tips that 10x results”

  • Don’t hover: Kick off 5–10 small tasks; come back later to review.

  • Add acceptance criteria: Tell it how you’ll judge “done”.

  • Start small: Non‑critical bugs/UX tweaks are perfect first wins.

  • Let it clarify: If your ask is vague, Cosine will ask you questions; answer briefly and keep moving.

  • Turn on AutoDoc when you want docs: It writes and keeps project docs up‑to‑date as code changes. (To do so, enter a Project and then select “Autodoc” rather than “Tasks” in the header)

Troubleshooting basics

Section titled “Troubleshooting basics”
  • Nothing happened? Check the task page for errors; re‑submit or slightly narrow the ask.
  • It asked questions. That’s normal — answer directly; it will continue.
  • Tests failing? Ask Cosine to fix failing tests and re‑run.
  • Private repos okay? Yes — as long as your user has access.

First‑task ideas you can try today

Section titled “First‑task ideas you can try today”
  • “Fix the header logo alignment on mobile (<768px). Add a test.”
  • “Add a ‘Resend verification email’ button on the account page with success/error toasts.”
  • “Refactor legacy utils/date.js to TypeScript, add unit tests for parseDate and formatDate.”