using-jules

---

name: using-jules description: Guide for using Google Jules, the asynchronous AI coding agent. Use when delegating tasks to Jules, writing Jules prompts, using the jules CLI, or when the user mentions "jules", "send to jules", or wants to offload coding work to run in the background. Ideal for well-defined tasks that can run independently (bug fixes, tests, refactoring, docs) or parallelizing work. user-invocable: true

Jules is Google's asynchronous coding agent that clones your repo into a secure VM, executes tasks, and returns diffs or PRs. It works in the background while you continue other work.

CLI Quick Reference

Copy# Launch TUI
jules

# Create session for current repo
jules new "write unit tests for auth module"

# Create session for specific repo
jules new --repo owner/repo "add input validation"

# Parallel sessions (1-5) for same task
jules new --parallel 3 "fix linting errors"

# List sessions and repos
jules remote list --session
jules remote list --repo

# Pull session results
jules remote pull --session 123456
jules remote pull --session 123456 --apply  # Apply patch locally

# Teleport: clone + checkout + apply patch
jules teleport 123456

# Auth
jules login
jules logout

Writing Effective Prompts

Be specific, not vague. Treat it like delegating to a developer.

Include context:

• Specify files/modules to modify
• Mention frameworks and patterns to follow
• Reference existing code patterns when applicable

For complex tasks: Break into smaller, sequential sessions rather than one large request.

Prompt Categories

Debugging: "Help me fix {specific error}", "Trace why this value is undefined", "Add logging to debug {issue}"

Refactoring: "Refactor {file} from {pattern X} to {pattern Y}", "Convert callbacks to async/await", "Extract {logic} into a utility function"

Testing: "Add integration tests for {endpoint}", "Write pytest fixtures mocking {external API}", "Generate property-based tests for {function}"

Documentation: "Add docstrings to {module}", "Write API docs for {endpoint}"

Maintenance: "Upgrade {dependency} and fix breaking changes", "Remove unused imports across the codebase"

Workflow Patterns

Batch processing from file:

Copycat TODO.md | while IFS= read -r line; do
  jules new "$line"
done

From GitHub issues:

Copygh issue list --assignee @me --limit 1 --json title | jq -r '.[0].title' | jules new

With Gemini for triage:

Copygemini -p "find the most tedious issue:\n$(gh issue list --assignee @me)" | jules new

AGENTS.md Integration

Jules reads AGENTS.md from the repo root for context. Use /add-agents-md to generate one.

Keep it updated with:

• Build/test commands (exact, copy-pasteable)
• Architecture overview (one paragraph)
• Coding conventions and lint rules
• Important constraints (what NOT to do)

Session Workflow

1. Create session with specific prompt
2. Jules generates plan - review for understanding
3. Approve or refine the plan
4. Jules executes in isolated VM
5. Review diff/PR when complete
6. Apply locally with jules remote pull --apply or jules teleport