Beginner

Setting Up Jules

Get Jules connected to your GitHub repositories and ready for your first task assignment. This guide walks through every step from account setup to your first AI-generated pull request.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • A Google account (Gmail or Google Workspace)
  • A GitHub account with at least one repository
  • A repository with some existing code (Jules works best with established projects)
  • Basic familiarity with Git, branches, and pull requests

Step 1: Sign In to Jules

Navigate to jules.google and sign in with your Google account. If this is your first time, you will be guided through an onboarding flow that introduces the key features.

💡
Access: Jules may require waitlist approval or specific account eligibility depending on the current rollout phase. Check the Jules website for the latest availability information.

Step 2: Connect GitHub

Jules needs access to your GitHub repositories to read code and create pull requests. The connection process uses GitHub's OAuth flow:

  1. Authorize GitHub

    Click "Connect GitHub" in the Jules dashboard. You will be redirected to GitHub to authorize the Jules application.

  2. Select Repositories

    Choose which repositories Jules can access. You can grant access to all repositories or select specific ones. Start with a test repository.

  3. Confirm Permissions

    Jules requires read access to your code and write access to create branches and pull requests. Review the permissions and confirm.

Step 3: Configure Your Repository

For best results, ensure your repository has:

  • Clear project structure: Organized directories with logical naming
  • A README: Describes the project, its purpose, and how to set it up
  • Existing tests: Jules can run tests to validate its changes
  • Package configuration: package.json, requirements.txt, Cargo.toml, or equivalent
  • CI/CD pipeline: Optional but helpful — Jules-generated PRs will trigger your existing checks
Recommended Repository Structure 
my-project/
├── README.md           # Project overview and setup
├── package.json        # Dependencies and scripts
├── src/
│   ├── index.ts        # Entry point
│   ├── utils/          # Utility functions
│   └── components/     # Feature modules
├── tests/
│   ├── unit/           # Unit tests
│   └── integration/    # Integration tests
└── .github/
    └── workflows/      # CI/CD configuration

Step 4: Understanding the Dashboard

The Jules dashboard is your command center for managing AI coding tasks:

Section Purpose
New Task Create a new coding task for Jules to work on
Active Tasks View tasks currently being processed by Jules
Completed Review finished tasks and their resulting pull requests
Repositories Manage connected GitHub repositories and permissions
Settings Configure preferences, notifications, and account settings

Step 5: Your First Task

Let's assign a simple task to Jules to see the full workflow in action:

Example First Task 
Repository: my-project
Task: Add a utility function called "formatDate"
that takes a Date object and returns a string in
"YYYY-MM-DD" format. Include unit tests.

File: src/utils/dateUtils.ts
Test File: tests/unit/dateUtils.test.ts
✅
Tip: Start with small, well-defined tasks when you first begin using Jules. This helps you understand the workflow and calibrate your expectations before moving to larger tasks.

💡 Try It: Set Up Jules

Follow the steps above to connect Jules to one of your GitHub repositories. Create a simple first task — something small like adding a utility function or fixing a minor code style issue. Observe the full cycle from task assignment to pull request creation.