What are Development Requests?

Development Requests are how you request changes that go beyond simple text editing — things like new pages, layout modifications, or custom features.

The Big Idea

DCS separates content that can be edited immediately (text, SEO) from changes that require code modifications. Development Requests bridge this gap by providing an AI-assisted workflow that automates much of the development work.

How It Works

You describe a change → AI analyzes it → GitHub Copilot implements → You review → It goes live

1. You Describe the Change

Write a natural language description of what you want:

"Add a testimonials section to the home page with three customer quotes and their photos"

2. AI Analyzes Your Request

Our AI system:

• Determines if the request can be automated
• Classifies the type of change
• Estimates the version bump (patch vs. minor)
• Identifies any pending text overrides to include

3. GitHub Copilot Implements

For automatable requests:

• A GitHub issue is created
• GitHub Copilot is assigned
• Copilot writes the code
• A pull request is created

4. You Review

• Preview the changes in your dev environment
• Request modifications if needed
• Approve when satisfied

5. It Goes Live

• Changes deploy to production
• The request is marked complete
• Release notes are generated

Types of Requests

Type	Description	Automation	Version
Text Override	Consolidate text changes	✅ Full	None
Widget Config	Configuration changes	✅ Full	Patch
New Widget	New UI component	✅ Full	Minor
New Page	Create a new page	✅ Full	Minor
Layout Change	Structural modifications	✅ Full	Minor
Complex Feature	Major new functionality	🟡 Partial	Major

What Can Be Automated?

✅ Great for Automation

• Adding new sections to pages
• Creating new pages with standard layouts
• Changing colors, fonts, spacing
• Adding new components (cards, forms, lists)
• Modifying existing component behavior

🟡 Partial Automation

• Complex interactive features
• Third-party integrations
• Performance optimizations
• Accessibility improvements

❌ Requires Manual Development

• Payment processing
• User authentication changes
• Database schema changes
• Security-sensitive features
• Custom backend logic

The Queue System

Development requests are processed sequentially per site to prevent conflicts.

Request 1 (processing) → Request 2 (queued) → Request 3 (queued)

Why a Queue?

Each request modifies your site's code. Processing them one at a time ensures:

• No merge conflicts
• Clean version history
• Predictable deployments

Queue Status

Status	Meaning
Queued	Waiting for earlier requests
Processing	Currently being implemented
In Review	Awaiting your approval
Completed	Successfully deployed

Request Lifecycle

Draft → Submitted → Queued → In Progress → Review → Approved → Deployed

Draft

You're still writing the request. Not yet submitted.

Submitted

Sent for AI analysis. The system determines automation potential.

Queued

Waiting for other requests to complete.

In Progress

GitHub Copilot is implementing the change.

Review

Implementation complete. Preview and provide feedback.

Approved

You've approved the changes for deployment.

Deployed

Live in production. Request closed.

Best Practices

Be Specific

Instead of:

"Make the home page better"

Say:

"Add a hero section with a large background image, centered headline 'Welcome to Our Platform', and a blue 'Get Started' button"

Provide Context

Include:

• What page or section to modify
• Desired visual appearance
• Any reference examples
• Specific colors or styling

One Request, One Feature

Break large requests into smaller ones:

❌ "Redesign the entire site"

✅ "Add testimonials section to home page" ✅ "Update the footer with new links" ✅ "Create a new pricing page"

Review Thoroughly

Before approving:

• Test on different screen sizes
• Check for broken links
• Verify all content is correct
• Test interactive elements

Next Steps

• Submitting Requests — How to submit a request
• Tracking Progress — Monitor request status
• Approving Changes — Review and deploy