Cognition · Setup guide
How to set up Devin Cloud
Sign up for Devin Cloud in the browser, connect a repository with least privilege, and assign a small ticket-style task before any production repo access. This is not Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf).
Devin Cloud
browser · checked August 8, 2026
The “Open Devin Cloud” link goes to the vendor site. It is not an affiliate-tracked link on this page — no commission is claimed for that click. Affiliate disclosure.
Before you begin
- A modern desktop browser.
- A Cognition / Devin account with access to Devin Cloud.
- A non-production repository or fork for the first trial.
- Clear permission from whoever owns the GitHub/GitLab org before connecting.
Authentication
Browser account for Cognition / Devin Cloud
Account: Cognition account with Devin Cloud access
Seat, usage, and repository permission models change — confirm the live plan before budgeting a team rollout. Cloud can be a separate SKU from Desktop.
Install or open it
1. Get the harness ready
These steps are written for beginners. On Mac, Terminal is the black/white text window where you type commands. On Windows, use PowerShell or Terminal. Use the OS tabs to hide steps that are not for your computer, then copy one command at a time.
- 01
Open Devin Cloud
In Chrome, Safari, or Edge, go to https://app.devin.ai (marketing entry: https://devin.ai/cloud/) — not the Desktop IDE download. Create or sign into your Cognition account.
Devin Cloud app - 02
Confirm you are on Devin Cloud
If the page asks you to download a Mac/Windows IDE (Devin Desktop, formerly Windsurf), you are on the wrong surface. Stay in the cloud workspace. Cascade was a legacy Desktop-local agent (EOL through July 2026) — Desktop’s current local agent is Devin Local.
- 03
Connect source control carefully
Connect GitHub or GitLab with least privilege. Org connection often needs a GitHub/GitLab org admin; then select only the practice repository — not org-wide access. After connect, finish environment/machine setup and wait for indexing before the first Agent session. Start in Ask/plan for a read-only orientation.
- 04
Index the machine, then Ask before Agent
Let Devin finish repo/machine setup and indexing. Start in Ask/plan mode for a read-only orientation before enabling Agent edits on a real ticket.
- 05
Verify the cloud workspace
Confirm the browser shows the Devin Cloud workspace and the practice repository before starting a session. If you are being asked to install an IDE, return to the previous product-name check.
You should see: A Devin Cloud workspace with only the intended practice repository connected.
Repository or project
2. Start in the right place
Keep the first repository small, clean, and easy to roll back while you learn the harness’s permissions and context model.
- 01
Create or fork a practice repo
Use a disposable repository with tests and no production secrets. Note the default branch name.
- 02
Open a new Devin Cloud session
In the cloud workspace, start a new session bound to that repository only.
First run
Ticket-sized, reviewable work
Use this task to test the workflow before handing over a larger repository or production responsibility.
- 01Ask Devin Cloud to inventarise the repo and propose a one-file improvement with acceptance checks.
- 02Require a pull request or reviewable diff — do not merge automatically.
- 03Read every changed file before approving merge permissions.
Why this is safe: Cloud agents can open PRs and run remote compute; the first task should prove reviewability, not speed.
Stop and review if
- The agent requests secrets, production database access, or org-admin scopes.
- Changes land directly on main without a reviewable PR.
- You cannot tell which machine or branch executed the work.
The operating boundary
Privacy, data, and cost
The setup is incomplete until you know what the harness can see, what account pays for it, and who approves a risky action.
Privacy
Devin Cloud runs outside your laptop. Cognition may train by default; paid plans can opt out (Teams: admin) for no-training + provider ZDR; Enterprise does not train without written consent.
Training on code: tier dependent
Confirm current Cognition enterprise and regional terms before regulated data.
Sensitive repos: Never connect production monorepos on day one; revoke SCM access after the pilot if you are not continuing.
Pricing
Self-serve Pro/Max/Teams share the same quota-style model as Desktop (plan allowance + on-demand). Enterprise often uses ACUs. Do not treat Cloud as a separate pure-usage SKU for self-serve.
Model: hybrid
Watch out: Long sessions and retries burn quota. Desktop vs Cloud is easy to confuse at purchase time.
When setup goes wrong
You installed a desktop app by mistake.
That is Devin Desktop. Use /ai-harnesses/setup/windsurf, or return to https://devin.ai/cloud/.
Repository connect fails or shows the wrong repos.
Reconnect SCM with narrower permissions, confirm org SSO, and select the practice repo explicitly.
The session finishes with no reviewable PR.
Tighten the prompt to require a PR, check branch permissions, and do not enable auto-merge for pilots.
Next steps
After the first successful run
Keep the pilot small, then compare surfaces and budget before a team rollout.
Setup details change quickly. The page was checked August 8, 2026; use the official source below before installing in a managed or production environment.