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Auto-commit

By default ZAR proposes doc changes as a pull request. Auto-commit lets it skip the PR and write the fix directly. It’s powerful and intentionally hard to enable by accident.

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Two locks, both required

ZAR will commit doc updates only when both of these are true:
  1. The repo setting auto_commit_enabled is on. Toggle it with @docagent enable auto-commit or in the dashboard.
  2. The operator has set DOCAGENT_WRITE_COMMITS in the deployment’s environment.
If either is missing, ZAR falls back to opening a PR. This two-lock design means an end user can’t turn on writes without the operator’s deployment also allowing it — and the operator can globally disable all writes regardless of per-repo settings. See Safety & guarantees. On the hosted app at app.zarlabs.tech, the environment lock is managed for you, so the dashboard/command toggle is the switch you control.

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Enable it

@docagent enable auto-commit
(Author needs write access.) Disable it the same way: 
@docagent disable auto-commit
You can confirm the current state with @docagent status.

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Where commits land

With use_updates_branch on (the default), ZAR commits to a dedicated zar-updates/… branch and surfaces it as a PR rather than pushing straight to your protected branch. If you turn use_updates_branch off, ZAR commits to the PR head branch instead. Either way, branch protection rules still apply — ZAR can’t push where GitHub won’t let it.

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When to use it

Auto-commit suits teams that have watched ZAR’s PRs for a while and trust the output, especially with a style guide dialed in. A good rollout:
  1. Run with PRs only for a few weeks.
  2. Add a style_guide and refine it.
  3. Turn on auto-commit on one repo, with use_updates_branch on, so commits still arrive as a reviewable branch.
  4. Expand once you’re comfortable.

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Interaction with other settings

  • Dry-run wins. A repo in dry-run never commits, even with auto-commit on.
  • disable_pr stops ZAR from opening PRs or committing entirely — a hard off switch.
  • Auto-commit doesn’t change significance or trigger decisions; it only changes how an approved change is delivered.

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Next steps