Evidence first. No generic checklist.

How recommendations
work.

xops recommendations scans the repo deeper than ops status. It looks at package metadata, scripts, workspace layout, source imports, config files, CI workflows, API files, Mongo signals, and existing tools. Then it filters out anything already satisfied.

$ xops recommendations $ xops recommendations --explain $ xops recommendations --json --agent

Rules


Example 1 — MaGit

Mongo does not
always mean MaGit.

If MongoDB appears only as runtime app storage, xops should not recommend MaGit by default. If MongoDB appears with metadata, catalog, policy, rule, descriptor, profile, seed, deploy, promote, staging, or production signals, xops may recommend MaGit because xops can use it for metadata diff, commit history, release creation, deploy plans, and rollback plans.

Add MaGit metadata versioningconfidence: high

Why: MongoDB plus metadata/deploy signals detected.

xops can use it for: diff live, metadata release, deploy plan, rollback.

xops recommendations apply rec_magit_metadata_repo

Example 2 — utilitix

Mongo utility work is different
from metadata versioning.

If the repo has backup, restore, replicate, compare, copy-db, or prod-to-dev signals, xops may recommend utilitix. It should not recommend utilitix just because MongoDB exists.

Add utilitix Mongo safety utilitiesconfidence: medium/high

Why: Mongo backup/restore/replication signals detected.

xops can use it for: connection test, backup, restore, compare, replicate, undo.

xops recommendations apply rec_utilitix_mongo_safety

Example 3 — Postman / Newman

Postman is not
just a CLI.

xops can detect Postman collections as files. If collections exist but no local runner exists, xops may recommend Newman so the existing collections can become API tests in local or CI workflows.

Add Newman runner for existing Postman collectionsconfidence: high

Why: Postman collection detected, no Newman dependency, no test:api script.

xops can use it for: API tests, CI gates, release checks.

xops recommendations apply rec_postman_newman_runner

Example 4 — Renovate / Dependabot

Dependency monitoring is
recommended only when missing.

If neither Renovate nor Dependabot exists and the repo is a dependency-heavy monorepo, xops may recommend Renovate. If the repo is a simple GitHub-only package, xops may recommend Dependabot. It does not recommend both by default.

Example 5 — GitButler

Agent Git work needs
branch separation.

If a Git repo has agent instructions, agent config, CI pressure, or a multi-package workflow, xops may recommend branch workflow support. Users still keep calling xops — for example xops ask "show parallel branches" resolves to xops repo branches (try it). Behind the scenes, xops can use GitButler for parallel and stacked branch workflows, commit editing, PR assistance, and agent-managed branch work while xops still handles validation, release, publish, and push safety.

Enable agent-safe branch workflowsconfidence: medium/high

Why: Git repo plus agent or multi-package workflow signals detected.

xops can use it for: reporting branch workflow status, surfacing xops agent git setup, and keeping branch orchestration separate from release automation.

xops recommendations apply rec_gitbutler_agent_git_workflow

For agents

Recommendations
reduce exploration.

Without recommendations, an agent has to infer missing capabilities by reading files and reasoning from patterns. xops recommendations does that once, using supported tools only, and returns evidence-backed suggestions — not "install everything." Each recommendation includes confidence, evidence, impact, effort, how xops can use it, and the exact apply command.