Build context first.
Start with the PR description, changed-file patches, selected code excerpts, and project documents. North summarizes this collected context.
Build context before your PR review.
Before review.
Find your
true north.
A starting point for your next PR review. Compass posts a concise GitHub comment with the purpose of a change, relevant context, and a suggested reading order. Meet North, your guide to source-linked context for human review.
Built for engineers preparing to review. Powered by IBM Bob ↗.
MEET NORTH. CONTEXT BEFORE CODE REVIEW.
MADE WITH IBM Bob ↗↗ Context linked to the source≡ Purpose, context, reading order⌁ Arrive ready to review
01 / Build your review context
Understand the code.
Then review the change.
Explore three illustrative context examples below. These are fixed sample answers, not a chat with North. The working Compass workflow generates a structured PR comment from selected code and project documents.
northwind / apiILLUSTRATIVE DEMO
Sample answers & files · No repository connected
Follow the source links.
Follow links from the brief to collected files and analyzed revisions. Collection is bounded; Compass does not scan the entire repository or discover every caller.
Bring context to the review.
Check the explanation against its sources. Structure and citation checks do not prove factual accuracy. Compass does not approve, merge, or edit your PR.
02 / Follow the context
From pull request
to a clearer starting point.
Explore how Compass turns PR evidence into context for an engineer. Select a step to see what goes in, what happens, and what comes out.
Source: main ↗ · inspected at ceb8009
Code walkthrough, not a live run. Live Bob analysis, North App publication, and automatic updates to the same comment have been verified in our demo repository. The diagram itself makes no model calls. Generated text can still contain factual errors. See results and limitations ↗
03 / Set up Compass in GitHub
Your repo. Your model.
Your next pull request.
Run Compass in GitHub Actions with your own model key. This website guides manual setup; it does not sign you in, connect a model, or read your repository.
Start with GitHub.
Enter a repository you can configure. This builds settings links; it does not connect to or read your code.
Choose a provider.
Add a repository secret named COMPASS_BOB_API_KEY.
Use a Bob Inference-scope API key. Bob Shell 2.0.5 is required; the workflow installs and verifies it.
Store your model key in GitHub Secrets; the runner uses it to call your provider. GitHub supplies the default GitHub token. Never enter API keys on this website.
Make the next PR automatic.
Save the workflow as .github/workflows/compass-auto.yml in your repository’s default branch. Add these Actions variables, enabling Compass last:
- COMPASS_ACTION_SHA
- Reviewed implementation:
ceb80097ef1595b7496cfab95aacd77cf2f97145. Pin this full commit SHA rather than a moving branch. - COMPASS_PROVIDER
- bob
- COMPASS_ACCEPT_BOB_LICENSE
- true — after accepting IBM’s license
- COMPASS_ENABLED
- true — authorizes automatic paid analysis and PR comments. Set false to pause.
Requested limit: 0.5 Bobcoins and four turns. Repair is disabled. Verify actual usage with IBM.
For private repositories, also set COMPASS_ALLOW_PRIVATE=true to authorize sending selected code context to your model provider. Each eligible PR event can cost credits; there is no daily budget cap in this workflow.
Opens, updates, reopens, and ready-for-review events trigger eligible PRs. Draft, fork, and bot-authored PRs are skipped, as are rerun attempts. Use this with trusted repository contributors who can access Actions secrets.
Which bot will comment? The default workflow posts as github-actions[bot]. Our demo repository uses the Compass by North GitHub App and North’s avatar. External users may configure their own App; our private key is never shared. Installing the public Compass App alone does not activate reviews. Hosted sign-in and model onboarding are not live yet. External-user setup ↗
What you’ll see: Gathering context → Analyzing context → Posting comment → Brief posted. Compass provides context; it does not approve or merge the PR. Live Bob execution and bot publication are verified in our demo repository. An analysis failure produces an unavailable brief and a failed check.
04 / Explore our toolkit
Built with Bob.
Ready for review.
Compass uses IBM Bob to help engineers build code context before PR reviews. Explore the tools and guides behind the experience.
IBM Bob documentationExplore setup, features, and development workflows.
Get IBM BobFind the official downloads and start building.
From the IBM Bob teamRead updates, ideas, and stories from the team.
Official IBM resources · Links open in a new tab.