|
| 1 | +# Remote Q&A with Squad |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +> ⚠️ **Experimental** — Squad is alpha software. APIs, commands, and behavior may change between releases. |
| 4 | +
|
| 5 | + |
| 6 | +**Try this:** |
| 7 | +``` |
| 8 | +@copilot How does authentication work in this project? |
| 9 | +``` |
| 10 | + |
| 11 | +You don't always have the repo cloned locally. Sometimes you want to ask your Squad a question from the browser, the GitHub CLI, or a mobile device — without pulling code. |
| 12 | + |
| 13 | +--- |
| 14 | + |
| 15 | +## Current options |
| 16 | + |
| 17 | +Squad already supports several remote interaction paths. Each trades off convenience, depth, and setup effort. |
| 18 | + |
| 19 | +### 1. Copilot Chat with squad.agent.md |
| 20 | + |
| 21 | +If the repo has `.github/agents/squad.agent.md`, GitHub Copilot Chat reads it automatically when you ask questions about the repo. |
| 22 | + |
| 23 | +**How it works:** |
| 24 | +- Open the repo in GitHub.com |
| 25 | +- Use Copilot Chat in the browser |
| 26 | +- Copilot reads the agent file and answers using your team's context |
| 27 | + |
| 28 | +**Good for:** Quick questions about architecture, team structure, and project conventions. |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +**Limitation:** Copilot reads the default branch only. You can't point it at a feature branch. |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +### 2. Assign an issue to @copilot |
| 33 | + |
| 34 | +Create a GitHub issue and assign it to `@copilot`. If the repo has Squad's issue-assign workflow (`.github/workflows/squad-issue-assign.yml`), the coding agent picks up the issue and works it using your Squad configuration. |
| 35 | + |
| 36 | +**How it works:** |
| 37 | +1. Create an issue describing the question or task |
| 38 | +2. Assign it to `@copilot` |
| 39 | +3. The workflow triggers and Squad processes it |
| 40 | + |
| 41 | +**Good for:** Tasks that need code changes, research across files, or multi-step investigation. |
| 42 | + |
| 43 | +**Limitation:** Designed for work items, not conversational Q&A. The workflow runs against the default branch. |
| 44 | + |
| 45 | +### 3. Use `squad:` labels on issues |
| 46 | + |
| 47 | +Add a `squad:{member}` label to any issue, and Squad routes it to the right team member. |
| 48 | + |
| 49 | +**How it works:** |
| 50 | +1. Create or label an issue with `squad:fenster` (or any member name) |
| 51 | +2. The triage workflow assigns it to the appropriate agent |
| 52 | +3. Work proceeds through the normal Squad flow |
| 53 | + |
| 54 | +**Good for:** Routing specific work to specific team members without cloning. |
| 55 | + |
| 56 | +**Limitation:** Requires label setup on the repo. Routes work, not questions. |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +--- |
| 59 | + |
| 60 | +## What's not supported yet |
| 61 | + |
| 62 | +These features don't exist today but would make remote Q&A more powerful: |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +### Branch-aware queries |
| 65 | + |
| 66 | +All current remote paths read the default branch. You can't ask "How does auth work on the `feature/oauth` branch?" and get branch-specific answers. |
| 67 | + |
| 68 | +**Workaround:** Mention the branch in your question and ask the agent to check out that branch during investigation. |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +### GitHub Discussions integration |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +A Discussions-based Q&A channel where Squad monitors and answers questions would make remote interaction feel conversational. This would need a new workflow trigger on `discussion` events. |
| 73 | + |
| 74 | +### Issue comment commands |
| 75 | + |
| 76 | +A `/squad ask "question"` command in issue comments that triggers Squad to respond inline would enable threaded Q&A without creating new issues. |
| 77 | + |
| 78 | +--- |
| 79 | + |
| 80 | +## Tips |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | +- **Start with Copilot Chat.** It's the lowest-effort path and works today for repos with `squad.agent.md`. |
| 83 | +- **Use issues for anything that needs code.** Copilot Chat answers questions; issues drive work. |
| 84 | +- **Include context in your question.** Remote paths don't have your local state. Be specific about which files, features, or branches you mean. |
| 85 | +- **Check the default branch.** All remote paths currently read `main` (or whatever the repo's default branch is). If you're asking about unreleased work, mention the branch explicitly. |
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