Auto-Detected Workflow
The Auto-Detected Workflow template is Tower's intelligent approach to workflow configuration. Instead of starting from scratch or forcing you into a predefined structure, this template analyzes your repository's current branch naming patterns and proposes a workflow configuration that matches your existing development practices.
How Auto-Detection Works
When you select the Auto-Detected Workflow, Tower examines your repository's existing branches and identifies common patterns in your branch naming structure. The detection algorithm looks for:
Main branches like main, master, trunk, develop, or development that serve as your primary integration points.
Feature branch patterns such as branches prefixed with feature/, feat/, or f/ that indicate feature development work.
Hotfix and bugfix patterns including branches with prefixes like hotfix/, fix/, bugfix/, or bug/ that represent urgent fixes or bug corrections.
Release patterns for branches prefixed with release/, rel/, or version numbers that indicate release preparation work.
Based on these patterns, Tower constructs a workflow configuration that formalizes your existing branching strategy without requiring you to change your current practices.
When to Choose Auto-Detection
Auto-detection works best when you already have an established branching strategy that your team follows consistently. If your repository contains multiple examples of feature branches, hotfix branches, and other branch types with recognizable naming patterns, auto-detection can quickly formalize these practices into a structured workflow.
This approach is particularly valuable for teams who want to maintain their existing development process while gaining the benefits of Tower's workflow features like guided branch creation, smart finishing, and dependency management.
Recommended Starting Point If you're unsure which workflow template to choose, start with Auto-Detected Workflow. It provides the lowest friction path to implementing structured workflows while respecting your existing practices.
Customizing Auto-Detected Results
The auto-detected configuration serves as a starting point that you can customize after creation. Tower presents the detected configuration in the workflow setup dialog, where you can:
- Modify branch type definitions to better match your terminology
- Adjust merge strategies for different branch types
- Add or remove branch dependencies based on your development flow
- Refine naming patterns to be more specific or inclusive
This flexibility ensures that even if the auto-detection doesn't perfectly capture every aspect of your workflow, you can fine-tune the configuration to match your exact requirements.
Benefits Over Manual Configuration
Auto-detection offers several advantages over building a workflow from scratch:
Faster setup by eliminating the need to manually define every aspect of your workflow structure.
Reduced configuration errors since the detection is based on your actual branch usage rather than assumptions about what you might need.
Immediate familiarity because the resulting workflow matches patterns your team already uses, requiring no learning curve or process changes.
Comprehensive coverage as Tower analyzes all branches in your repository, potentially identifying patterns you might overlook when configuring manually.
Next Steps
After selecting Auto-Detected Workflow, Tower guides you through reviewing and customizing the proposed configuration. You can then begin using the workflow immediately, with Tower providing guided branch creation, merge assistance, and dependency management based on your formalized branching structure.
If you discover that your actual workflow needs differ from what was detected, you can always modify the configuration or switch to a different workflow template that better matches your requirements.