Creating Projects

Create a project

1. Click the + button next to “Projects” in the sidebar
2. Enter a name for the project
3. Optionally add instructions — these provide Pilot with context about your project (coding style, architecture, important patterns)
4. Optionally connect a GitHub repository — select the repo and branch
5. Choose a color and icon for visual identification
6. Click Save

Project instructions

Instructions are free-form text that Pilot uses as context when working on tasks. Good instructions help Pilot write code that fits your project’s conventions.

Example instructions:

This is a Next.js 14 app using the App Router.
We use Tailwind CSS for styling and shadcn/ui for components.
Tests use Vitest with React Testing Library.
Follow the existing patterns in src/components/ for new components.
Always include TypeScript types — no `any`.

Instructions are sent to the AI model along with each task, so keep them focused on things Pilot needs to know when writing code.

GitHub repository connection

When creating a project, you can link it to a GitHub repository:

1. Click Connect Repository in the project dialog
2. If you haven’t connected GitHub yet, you’ll be guided through the OAuth device flow
3. Select a repository from your accessible repos
4. Choose the default branch (usually main or master)

Once connected, Pilot can clone the repo, create branches, and open pull requests. See GitHub Integration for more.

Project colors and icons

Each project gets a color and optional emoji icon, visible in the sidebar. This helps you quickly identify projects when you have several.

Colors are selected via a color picker — you can choose any color you like.