CodeRabbit Setup Guide

Step-by-step guide to adding CodeRabbit AI code review to your GitHub repositories.

Prerequisites

• GitHub account
• At least one repository you want to enable reviews on
• Repository admin access (for private repos)

Installation

Step 1: Install the GitHub App

1. Go to https://coderabbit.ai↗
2. Click Get Started or Sign up with GitHub
3. Authorize CodeRabbit to access your GitHub account
4. Select which repositories to enable:
   • All repositories - CodeRabbit reviews every repo
   • Only select repositories - Choose specific repos

Step 2: Verify Installation

After installation, CodeRabbit appears in your repo settings:

1. Go to your repository on GitHub
2. Settings → Integrations → GitHub Apps
3. Confirm CodeRabbit is listed and has access

Configuration

Basic Setup (No Config Needed)

CodeRabbit works out of the box with sensible defaults. Open a PR and it will automatically review.

Custom Configuration

Create .coderabbit.yaml in your repository root:

yaml
# .coderabbit.yaml
language: en-US

reviews:
  # Automatically review PRs when opened
  auto_review:
    enabled: true
    
  # Review drafts or only ready PRs
  drafts: false
  
  # Minimum lines changed to trigger review
  min_lines: 10

  # Request changes vs just comment
  request_changes_workflow: false

# Ignore certain paths
path_filters:
  - "!**/*.md"           # Skip markdown files
  - "!**/test/**"        # Skip test directories
  - "!**/*.test.ts"      # Skip test files
  - "!**/node_modules/**"
  - "!**/dist/**"
  - "!**/.git/**"

# Custom review instructions
instructions: |
  Focus on:
  - Security vulnerabilities
  - Performance issues
  - Error handling
  Ignore:
  - Minor style suggestions (we use ESLint)

Path Filters Syntax

The ! prefix excludes matching paths.

Using CodeRabbit

Automatic Reviews

1. Create a branch and make changes
2. Open a Pull Request
3. CodeRabbit automatically comments within minutes
4. Review its suggestions inline

Interacting with CodeRabbit

Reply to CodeRabbit's comments in your PR:

Providing Feedback

CodeRabbit learns from your responses:

• Dismiss a suggestion → It adjusts future reviews
• Accept a suggestion → Reinforces that pattern
• Thumbs up/down on comments → Direct feedback

CLI Workflow (Terminal-First)

For developers who live in the terminal:

bash
# Create branch and make changes
git checkout -b feature/new-thing
# ... make changes ...
git add .
git commit -m "Add new feature"

# Push and create PR with gh CLI
git push -u origin feature/new-thing
gh pr create --title "Add new feature" --body "Description here"

# CodeRabbit reviews automatically
# Check review status
gh pr view --comments

# After addressing feedback
git add .
git commit -m "Address CodeRabbit feedback"
git push

# Request re-review if needed (comment via gh)
gh pr comment --body "@coderabbitai review"

Pricing Reminder

Troubleshooting

CodeRabbit not reviewing?

1. Check GitHub App is installed: Settings → Integrations
2. Verify repo is enabled in CodeRabbit dashboard
3. Check .coderabbit.yaml syntax if using custom config
4. Ensure PR meets min_lines threshold (default: 1)

Too many comments?

Add path filters to .coderabbit.yaml:

yaml
path_filters:
  - "!**/*.test.ts"
  - "!**/*.spec.ts"
  - "!**/fixtures/**"

Or add custom instructions:

yaml
instructions: |
  Be concise. Only flag critical issues.
  Skip minor style suggestions.

Want reviews on draft PRs?

yaml
reviews:
  drafts: true

Links

• CodeRabbit Dashboard: https://app.coderabbit.ai↗
• Documentation: https://docs.coderabbit.ai↗
• Configuration Reference: https://docs.coderabbit.ai/reference/configuration↗

Related

• AI PR Review Tools - CodeRabbit vs Greptile vs Graphite - Tool comparison
• Git - Version control basics
• GitHub - Platform integration