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Setup Guide

Get Scytala running in about 5 minutes. Connect your tools, install the Slack app, and start debugging production from your phone.

Before You Start

Make sure you have these ready:

  • A Slack workspace where you have permission to install apps
  • A GitHub account with access to the repos you want to debug
  • A ChatGPT plan with Codex device code authorization enabled, or API billing enabled for fallback
  • Optionally, a database connection string if you want to query production data

Step-by-Step Setup

1

Create your account

Head to the signup page and sign up. You'll get 50 free credits immediately — no credit card required.

2

Connect GitHub

Install the Scytala GitHub App and choose the repositories it can access. We request repository permissions only for cloning and pushing branches.

Tip: You can connect to both personal and organization repos. If your org requires approval, ask an admin to install the Scytala GitHub App.
3

Create an environment

An environment ties together a repo, branch, and optional credentials. Think of it as a debug context — e.g., backend-prod or payments-staging.

NameA short label (e.g., "backend-prod")
Repository URLThe GitHub repo to clone (e.g., https://github.com/you/your-repo.git)
BranchDefault branch to check out (usually "main")
Database URLOptional. A connection string for read-only DB queries
AI backendCodex is the default. Claude Code remains available if you select it.
Security note: Credentials are encrypted per-customer using AWS KMS and never exposed to agent containers. All DB queries run through a read-only proxy with SQL validation. After setup, review the Security & Access dashboard to verify stored secrets, provider connections, and recent access history.
4

Install the Slack app

From your dashboard settings, click "Connect Slack" to install the Scytala bot in your workspace. You'll need workspace admin permission.

Once installed, the bot appears in your Slack sidebar under Apps. All communication happens via direct messages — Scytala never reads or posts in channels.

5

Start debugging

Open Slack, find the Scytala bot in your DMs, and send a message like you'd type in your terminal:

you: Why is the checkout endpoint returning 500s?
scytala: Investigating... cloning repo, checking error logs...

Scytala spins up a dedicated container with your repo and tools, runs the selected AI backend, and reports findings right in the Slack thread. First response takes 30–60 seconds while the container provisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Troubleshooting

Database IP Whitelisting

Scytala connects to your database through the control plane proxy. If your database requires IP whitelisting, add Scytala's static egress IPs to your security group or firewall rules.

Static IPsListed in your dashboard settings under "Network"
PortWhitelist the port your database listens on (e.g., 5432 for PostgreSQL, 3306 for MySQL)
Note: Scytala uses static egress IPs so you only need to whitelist a fixed set of addresses. No dynamic IP ranges to worry about.

Connecting to Private Databases

If your database doesn't have a public endpoint (e.g., it's in a private VPC), you can connect via an SSH tunnel through a bastion host.

SSH HostThe public hostname or IP of your bastion / jump server
SSH UserThe username for SSH authentication
SSH KeyUploaded and encrypted in the credential vault — never exposed to agent containers
Tip: Make sure your bastion host's security group allows inbound SSH (port 22) from Scytala's static IPs.

HTTP Service Allowlisting

Scytala can make HTTP requests to external services (e.g., Sentry, Datadog, PagerDuty) on behalf of agents. Each environment has a per-domain allowlist — only explicitly listed domains are accessible.

How it works: When you configure HTTP services in your environment, add each domain to the allowlist. The proxy enforces HTTPS-only, blocks private/internal IPs (SSRF protection), and injects auth headers from your credential vault. You can review the current allowlist and recent proxy activity in Security & Access.

Slack Bot Not Responding

If the bot doesn't reply to your messages:

  • Verify the Slack app is installed in your workspace — check dashboard settings for Slack connection status
  • Make sure you're messaging the bot via direct message, not in a channel
  • Check that you have credits remaining — sessions pause at zero credits
  • First messages take 30–60 seconds while a container spins up — wait for the "Investigating..." card to appear

Session Appears Stuck

If a session shows "investigating" for more than a few minutes:

  • Complex tasks may take several minutes while the AI backend is reading code, running tests, or querying databases
  • Check your sessions list for the current status
  • If the session shows "failed" or "timeout", start a new one — context is restored automatically
  • Avoid sending multiple follow-up messages while the agent is processing — each message queues a new turn

GitHub Access Issues

If the agent can't clone your repository:

  • Re-authorize the GitHub connection from settings— tokens may have expired or been revoked
  • For organization repos, ensure the Scytala OAuth app is approved by an org admin
  • Verify the repo URL in your environment matches the actual GitHub URL (including .git suffix)

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