Use Rovo Dev in the IDE
Use Rovo Dev in your Integrated Development Environment (IDE) to understand, modify, and generate code while staying in the context of your repository, tools, and Jira work.
Before you begin
Before you start using Rovo Dev in your IDE:
Install VS Code or a VS Code-compatible IDE like Cursor on your computer.
Make sure one of your Jira sites has Rovo Dev activated and you have available Rovo Dev credit allowance.
Make sure the Visual Studio Code (VS Code) feature is activated for your organization and Jira site. How to turn Rovo Dev features on or off How to turn Rovo Dev features on or off
Manage sessions with Rovo Dev in the IDE
Rovo Dev sessions let you continue from where you left off by maintaining conversation history and context across multiple interactions.
Each session maintains its own message history and conversation context, and is tied to a specific workspace. Each workspace maintains its own set of sessions, and sessions created in a workspace are only visible when you’re working in that workspace.
Create a new session
To create a new session, select New chat session () at the top of the Rovo Dev sidebar. Create a new session whenever your current context won’t be relevant to your next task.
Restore a previous session
To restore a previous session, select Session history at the top of Rovo Dev sidebar. Select a previous session to return to a previous state with Rovo Dev and continue working from there.
Use the prompt box
Use the Rovo Dev prompt box in your IDE to describe your task, add context, run actions, and control how Rovo Dev functions.
Open the prompt box
In the VS Code activity bar, select Rovo Dev to open the Rovo Dev sidebar. The prompt box is at the bottom of the sidebar.
Enter a prompt
Enter a natural language prompt to tell Rovo Dev what you want to do.
Run actions with / commands
Use / commands to quickly run common actions without leaving the Rovo Dev prompt box. For example, use:
/pruneto reduce token size while retaining context (removes tool results)/clearto clear the current session's message history (cannot be undone)/copyto copy the last response to your clipboard/usageto see your Rovo Dev credit usage
The / command will give you a list of all available actions while using Rovo Dev in IDE.
Add references from your repository
Add files from your repository for Rovo Dev to use as additional context when generating its response. To add files from your repository, select Add () in the prompt box and choose one or more files.
Use code selections as context
Select lines of code in your editor to focus Rovo Dev on the specific code you want it to analyze or change, in addition to your prompt. Rovo Dev automatically includes your selection as context and shows the selected line numbers alongside the file name in the prompt box so you can confirm what it sees.
Switch Rovo Dev modes
Select Preferences () in the Rovo Dev prompt box to switch modes and control how Rovo Dev plans and applies changes.
Use modes to control how Rovo Dev functions
Use modes to control how Rovo Dev functions for your current task, including whether it plans first, seeks permission, or applies changes directly.
Planning mode
Use planning mode when you want Rovo Dev to create a coding plan before generating code. To switch the planning mode, select Preferences () next to the prompt box, then turn the Plan toggle on or off.
YOLO mode
Use YOLO mode with caution. Once enabled, it allows Rovo Dev to make changes to your workspace without asking for permission. This mode is only designed for trusted workflows.
Use YOLO mode for situations where you want to run Rovo Dev without permission prompts.
When YOLO mode is enabled:
All file operations (create, delete, move, open, close, find and replace) are executed without confirmation.
All Bash/PowerShell commands are executed without confirmation.
All workspace navigation and Git tools are executed without confirmation.
MCP tools and other integrations continue to use their configured permissions.
To switch YOLO mode, select Preferences in the prompt box, then turn the YOLO toggle on or off.
Work with code using Rovo Dev in your IDE
Use Rovo Dev to work with code using natural language prompts directly in your IDE.
To work with code using Rovo Dev in your IDE:
Start a Rovo Dev session.
Enter a prompt to describe what you want Rovo Dev to do with your code. Provide additional context or use
/commands to perform specific actions.Review any changes Rovo Dev makes to your files, keep or undo the code changes, and iterate with follow-up prompts as needed.
Commit changes using your normal Git workflow once you’re satisfied with the results. You can use Source Control from the activity bar or Terminal to stage, commit, and create a pull request.
Work on a Jira work item using Rovo Dev in your IDE
Use Rovo Dev with Jira work items in your IDE to generate and refine code changes that are directly linked to your Jira work items.
Before you can work on Jira work items, you’ll need toauthenticate the Atlassian for VS Code extension so Rovo Dev can access your Jira work.
To work on a Jira work item:
Open a Jira work item in your IDE.
In the VS Code activity bar, select Atlassian.
Select Jira work items in the Atlassian sidebar.
Select a work item from the list or search for a specific work item in the search bar at the top.
On the work item view, select Generate code. It will open Rovo Dev with the work item in context.
Use Rovo Dev to work on the code, based on the context from a Jira work item. Enter relevant prompts in the prompt box.
Review any changes Rovo Dev makes to your files, keep or undo the code changes, and iterate with follow-up prompts as needed.
Review and commit the changes as per your normal Git workflow once you’re satisfied with your results.
Manage Rovo Dev settings
The Rovo Dev configuration file is stored by default at ~/.rovodev/config.yml. Change settings in this file to customize Rovo Dev to suit your preferences and workflow when using it in your IDE. Rovo Dev in IDE uses the same configuration options as Rovo Dev CLI. How to manage Rovo Dev CLI settings
Any changes you make to the Rovo Dev settings are scoped to the development environment where you’re using Rovo Dev and apply to Rovo Dev CLI and Rovo Dev in IDE.
To view and update Rovo Dev settings:
In the VS Code activity bar, select Rovo Dev.
At the top of the Rovo Dev sidebar, Views and more actions (…).
Select Open settings file.
Make your changes, then save and close the file.
Manage MCP connections
The MCP server configuration file is stored at ~/.rovodev/mcp.json. Change settings in this file to manage your MCP connections.
Rovo Dev in IDE uses the same MCP connections as Rovo Dev CLIHow to manage MCP settings in Rovo Dev CLI
MCP servers and Rovo Dev in IDE
Rovo Dev in IDE allows connections through Model Context Protocol (MCP).
MCP is a standardized framework that lets AI large language models connect to external data, tools, and services like databases, APIs, file systems, and other external resources.
By using MCP to connect Rovo Dev to other data sources, you can enhance the quality of AI-generated code by providing the model with rich, relevant context from outside your Atlassian site.
Make sure you have all the necessary consents and rights to enable Atlassian to use these connected data sources. You are responsible for complying with all applicable terms and policies governing the use of these connected data sources.
More about MCP and potential security risks
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