Getting started
Do I need to pay before trying it? No. Sign-in, App installation, connecting a repository, provisioning and your first 3 merged deliveries are all free, with no card. See billing. Do I need to configure a model or an API key? No. A subscription includes 300M tokens a month and deliveries use the platform channel by default. Configuring your own key is optional — see model configuration. Do I have to install anything? No. Everything happens in your browser and in GitHub. You never get a shell on the runner and nothing runs on your machine. Can I use it on a private repository? Yes. The GitHub App works on private repositories you authorize. Can I connect more than one repository? Not at the moment — one active repository at a time. You can change which one whenever no delivery is in flight. See connect a repository. Does it work on an organization’s repository? Yes. Install the App on the organization; that creates a separate tenant for the organization with its own subscription and usage.Running deliveries
How do I give Orbi work? Create an Issue in your connected repository and add theai-ready label — or use Let Orbi try this one on the status page. See file your first Issue.
How long until it starts?
Up to five minutes. Pickup runs on a timer rather than instantly.
How long does a delivery take?
It depends entirely on the size of the task. Small, well-specified changes finish quickly; large or vague ones take longer and go through more repair rounds.
Can I change my mind while it is working?
Yes. Comment on the Issue or edit its body — the running session restarts with your correction. It accepts 3 such restarts, and only trusted repository roles can steer. See steering a delivery.
Can I stop a delivery?
Close the Issue. If it was an unsubscribed delivery that never merged, closing it refunds the free-allowance slot.
Will Orbi review its own code?
The review runs in a separate session that did not write the code, and it repairs what it finds before anything reaches the merge gate. It is not the same session marking its own work — though it is still Orbi, so your own CI is what makes the guarantee concrete.
Does it merge without my approval?
Yes, when the review verdict is clean and the merge gate passes — that is the point of an unattended loop. If you want a human approval on every delivery, set your branch protection to require one; see security.
What is ai-blocked?
A deliberate stop meaning a person has to decide the next step, not a crash. Fix the cause, then re-apply ai-ready. See troubleshooting.
Limits and cost
What does it cost? 3 merged deliveries free, then US$79/month including 300M tokens. No per-token overage — deliveries pause at the cap instead. See billing. Do failed deliveries use up my free allowance? No. A delivery that ends blocked or is closed without merging refunds its slot. How many deliveries does 300M tokens cover? Roughly 85 to 400 merged deliveries depending on task size, assuming your provider supports prompt caching. What happens when I hit the monthly cap? Newly labelled Issues haveai-ready removed with an explanatory comment. In-flight deliveries are untouched. Wait for the next month or switch to your own key — then re-apply the label yourself. See limits and quotas.
My quota is draining fast. Why?
Check the cache hit rate on the status page. Cache-miss tokens cost about 50× more, so a rate below 90% burns quota much faster.
Releases
Does Orbi release automatically? No, never. You cut a release by typing a version into Cut a release, or by opening a Release Issue with theai-release label yourself. See releases.
Does it pick the version number?
No. You type it — the next version is a product decision Orbi will not make for you.
Why did my release stop at scope derivation?
The scope comes from a milestone titled exactly like the version. Orbi does not create that milestone for you.