Documentation

Start your first Nightshift

Set up Nightshift, write one bounded task, run it attended, and review the local receipt.

Answers: how to start Nightshift · Updated 23 August 2026

SHORT ANSWER

Start small and attended: set up the project, accept only the gates you want, add one concrete punch-list item with its verification, then start the shift and review the local commit before pushing.

The five-minute path

A first shift should prove the workflow, not your appetite for risk. Use a trusted repository and one task you already understand.

Install Nightshift for your coding host.
Run Setup and review the proposed project gates.
Add one small item with an explicit Verify line.
Start the shift and keep the first run attended.
Review the commit, shift log, and any parked decisions.

Write a task the agent can finish

The item title states the outcome. Its bullets define the change. Verify names the commands or inspection that prove completion. Commit gives the intended conventional subject.

- [ ] **1. Repair the release check.**
  - Fix the failing path without suppressing the test.
  - Verify: npm test
  - Commit: `fix: repair the release check`

What success looks like

The item is implemented, its gate is green, a local commit exists, and the checkbox is ticked. Questions that did not need to block the run appear in the parking lot with the default Nightshift chose.

No push unless the contract explicitly authorizes it.
No hidden state: the working files stay in .nightshift/.
No early exit while approved boxes remain open.

TRY IT

Start with a bounded prompt

This prompt names the outcome and preserves Nightshift’s review boundary. Paste it into the supported coding host from the project you want to change.

Set up Nightshift in this project, propose only the gates that fit it, and help me prepare one small attended task.

Read the repository Open the official OpenAI listing

BOUNDARIES

What this workflow does not claim

The first shift should stay attended until permissions, gates, STOP, and commit behavior are verified.
Nightshift does not replace project tests or owner review.

SOURCES

Evidence and sources

These links support the released behavior, public outcomes, or problem language described on this page.

Versioned setup skillThe shipped setup, workspace, rules, and first-run guidance.Open evidence ↗First-night checklistThe attended checks required before trusting an unattended run.Open evidence ↗Versioned workflow contractThe shipped one-item loop, decision boundary, gates, recovery, and clock-out behavior.Open evidence ↗

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Should the first shift run unattended?

No. Keep the first run attended so you can verify permissions, gates, stop behavior, and host-specific recovery.

Does Nightshift push the commit?

Not by default. It leaves local commits for owner review unless the punch list explicitly authorizes pushing.