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GitHub App Signals

GitHub App Signals enrich Overmind change analysis with live repository context captured by the Overmind GitHub App. These signals highlight deployment readiness, automation coverage, and unusual branch behavior so your team can make safer release decisions.

GitHub pull request annotated with Overmind insights

How It Works​

  1. Install the Overmind GitHub App on the repositories that drive your infrastructure (see the GitHub App integration guide).
  2. Define .overmind/signal-config.yaml so the CLI can map plans to the right repositories and branches (see the CLI Configuration Guide).
  3. Submit your Terraform plan with overmind changes submit-plan. Overmind automatically correlates the change to recent pull requests, merge frequency, and CI checks.
  4. Review the resulting signals alongside blast radius results to understand timing and organizational risk factors.

Signal Types​

GitHub App Signals appear under the Signals tab of a change and include:

  • Deployment Window Alignment: Warns when a change is about to deploy outside the typical merge window (e.g., after-hours or weekends).
  • Bot Detection: If the change is detected to be from a bot, it will be given a score of +3.
  • Head Branch: Warns when the head branch is not the primary branch.

Example CLI Workflow​

overmind changes submit-plan plan.out \
  --signal-config .overmind/signal-config.yaml

When the flag is omitted, Overmind automatically searches for the configuration file within .overmind/. Successful submissions will display GitHub App signals on the resulting change page within a few minutes.

Best Practices​

  • Version the config: Commit .overmind/signal-config.yaml to source control to keep teams aligned.
  • Keep repositories in sync: Regenerate the GitHub profile whenever you add new Terraform repositories or rename default branches.
  • Monitor required checks: Update required_checks when your CI pipelines change so automation coverage stays accurate.
  • Review signals before apply: Treat GitHub App Signals as an additional review gate—verify anomalies before promoting changes.

Troubleshooting​

  • No signals visible: Confirm the GitHub App is installed and the config file is present. Resubmit the plan after a few minutes.
  • Incorrect branch detected: Update deployment_branch in the config to match your production branch naming.
  • Delayed updates: Signals may take a short time to recalculate after large repository events. Regenerate the GitHub profile from the integrations page if delays persist.