GitLab Duo Agent Platform (available now in Beta) provides a framework for AI agents to interact with GitLab resources like issues and merge requests, enabling complex, multistep tasks from concept to completion. Agent Platform offers conversational (agentic chat) and automated (agent Flows) experiences to assist with code generation, modernization, security vulnerability resolution, and project analysis — all while providing enterprise-grade security and customizable controls.
"Issue to MR" is an agent Flow that streamlines turning a well-scoped issue into a draft merge request (MR). The Flow analyzes an issue’s description and requirements, opens a draft MR linked to the issue, creates a development plan, and proposes an implementation — right from the GitLab UI.
The developer challenge
Product tweaks such as rearranging a UI layout, adjusting component sizing, or making a minor workflow change shouldn't require hours of setup work. Yet developers find themselves caught in a frustrating cycle: hunting through codebases to locate the right files, creating branches, piecing together scattered changes across multiple components, and navigating complex review processes. And this is all before they can even see if their solution works. Development overhead transforms what should be quick iterations into time-consuming tasks, slowing down feedback loops and making simple product improvements feel like major undertakings.
How to use the Issue to MR Flow to accelerate an application update
You first need to fulfill these prerequisites before using the Issue to MR Flow.
Prerequisites:
- An existing issue with clear requirements and acceptance criteria. This will help GitLab Duo Agent Platform better understand what you're trying to achieve and improve the quality of your output.
- Project access at Developer or higher permissions as the Flow will be making edits to your project's source code.
- GitLab Duo Agent Platform enabled for your group or project, with Flows allowed. For this, go to your project’s Settings > General > GitLab Duo > Allow flow execution toggle and enable it. GitLab is committed to helping provide guardrails, so agentic AI features require turning on these toggles to protect sensitive projects and ensure only the projects you want are accessible to GitLab Duo Agent Platform.
Once you have fulfilled all the prerequisites above, you can follow these steps to take advantage of the Issue to MR Flow:
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Create a project issue that describes what you’d like GitLab Duo Agent Platform to accomplish for you. Provide as much detail as possible in the issue description. If the issue already exists, open it by going to Plan > Issues and clicking on the issue describing the update you want. Keep the issue well-scoped and specific.
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Below the issue header, click on Generate MR with Duo to kick off the Flow.
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If you’d like to track the progress of the agents working on implementing your issue, go to Automate > Agent sessions to see the live session log as agents plan and propose changes.
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When the pipeline completes, a link to the MR appears in the issue’s activity. Open it to review the summary and file-level changes.
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If you’d like to validate the proposed updates by GitLab Duo Agent Platform locally, you can pull the branch on your laptop, build and run your app, and verify that the update behaves as expected. If needed, make edits in the MR and proceed with normal review.
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If you’re happy with all the proposed application updates, merge the MR to the main branch.
Why the Issue to MR Flow works well for application changes
The Issue to MR Flow proposes code changes and updates the MR directly, so you spend less time locating files and only have to evaluate and review the result. In addition, the MR is automatically linked to the originating issue, keeping context tight for reviewers and stakeholders. Finally, you can monitor the agent session to understand what’s happening at each step.
Benefits of GitLab Duo Agent Platform
GitLab Duo Agent Platform is an agentic orchestration layer that brings full project context, including planning to coding, building, securing, deploying, and monitoring, so agents can help across the entire software development lifecycle (SDLC), not just code editing.
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Unified data model: GitLab Duo Agents operate on GitLab’s unified SDLC data, enabling higher-quality decisions and collaboration across tasks — including non-coding ones.
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Security and compliance are built-in: GitLab Duo Agents run within enterprise guardrails and are usable even in highly-regulated or offline/air-gapped environments.
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Interoperability and extensibility: Orchestrate flows across vendors and tools; connect external data via MCP/A2A for richer context.
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Scale collaboration: GitLab Duo Agents work in the GitLab UI and IDEs, enabling many-to-many human-agent collaboration.
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Discoverable and shareable: Find and share agents and Flows in a centralized AI Catalog.
Try the Issue to MR Flow today
For application updates, like a modest UI adjustment, the Issue to MR Flow helps you move from a clear issue to a reviewable MR quickly, with progress you can monitor and changes you can validate and merge through your standard workflow. It keeps context, reduces handoffs, and lets your team focus on quality rather than busywork.
Watch the Issue to MR Flow in action:
Try the Issue to MR Flow on GitLab Duo Agent Platform now with a free trial of GitLab Ultimate with Duo Enterprise.