CodeRabbit Core Workflow A: Automated PR Review
Overview
The primary CodeRabbit workflow: a developer opens a PR, CodeRabbit automatically analyzes the diff, posts a walkthrough summary and line-level comments, and the developer addresses feedback. This skill covers configuration, review profiles, path instructions, and the full review lifecycle.
Prerequisites
- CodeRabbit GitHub App installed (see
coderabbit-install-auth)
.coderabbit.yaml in repository root- At least one PR-capable branch
Instructions
Step 1: Configure the Review Pipeline
language: "en-US"
early_access: false
reviews:
profile: "assertive"
request_changes_workflow: true
high_level_summary: true
high_level_summary_in_walkthrough: true
review_status: true
collapse_walkthrough: false
sequence_diagrams: true
poem: false
auto_review:
enabled: true
drafts: false
base_branches:
- main
- develop
ignore_title_keywords:
- "WIP"
- "DO NOT MERGE"
- "chore: bump"
path_filters:
- "!**/*.lock"
- "!**/*.snap"
- "!**/generated/**"
- "!dist/**"
- "!**/*.min.js"
- "!vendor/**"
path_instructions:
- path: "src/api/**"
instructions: |
Review for: input validation, proper HTTP status codes, auth middleware usage,
error response format per RFC 7807. Flag missing error handling.
- path: "src/db/**"
instructions: |
Review for: parameterized queries (no string concatenation), transaction boundaries,
proper connection cleanup, index usage. Flag N+1 query patterns.
- path: "**/*.test.*"
instructions: |
Review for: assertion completeness, edge case coverage, proper async handling.
Do NOT comment on test naming conventions or import order.
- path: ".github/workflows/**"
instructions: |
Review for: pinned action versions (use SHA not tag), no secrets in logs,
timeout-minutes on all jobs, OIDC for cloud auth.
chat:
auto_reply: true
reviews:
finishing_touches:
docstrings:
enabled: true
Step 2: Understand the Review Lifecycle
Developer opens/updates PR
│
▼
┌─────────────────────────────────┐
│ CodeRabbit analyzes diff │
│ (typically 2-5 min, up to 15 │
│ min for 1000+ line PRs) │
└─────────┬───────────────────────┘
│
├──▶ Walkthrough comment (summary + sequence diagram)
│
├──▶ Line-level comments (bugs, suggestions, improvements)
│
└──▶ Review state (approved / changes_requested)
│
▼
Developer addresses feedback
│
┌─────────┴──────────┐
│ │
Reply to comment Push new commits
(conversation) (incremental re-review)
│ │
▼ ▼
CodeRabbit responds CodeRabbit reviews
with explanation only changed files
Step 3: Interact with Reviews
# In any PR comment:
@coderabbitai full review # Re-review all files from scratch
@coderabbitai summary # Regenerate walkthrough summary
@coderabbitai resolve # Mark all CodeRabbit comments as resolved
@coderabbitai generate-docstrings # Auto-generate docstrings for functions
@coderabbitai configuration # Show current active config as YAML
@coderabbitai help # List all commands
# Reply to any CodeRabbit inline comment to discuss the feedback.
# CodeRabbit maintains conversation context and will explain its reasoning.
# In PR description, add instructions for this specific review:
# "Focus on security implications of the auth changes"
Step 4: Configure Finishing Touch Recipes
finishing_touches:
recipes:
- name: "fix-imports"
description: "Sort and organize imports"
instructions: |
Sort all imports alphabetically. Group: external packages first,
then internal modules, then relative imports. Remove unused imports.
- name: "tighten-types"
description: "Replace any with specific types"
instructions: |
Replace all `any` types with proper TypeScript types.
Use `unknown` for truly unknown values. Add type guards where needed.
# Trigger recipes in a PR comment:
@coderabbitai run fix-imports
@coderabbitai run tighten-types
# Or check the boxes in the Finishing Touches section of the walkthrough
Output
- Automated review on every PR targeting configured branches
- Walkthrough summary with sequence diagrams
- Line-level feedback categorized by severity
- Interactive conversation on review comments
- Finishing touch recipes for automated code improvements
Error Handling
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|
| Review takes 15+ minutes | PR has 1000+ changed lines | Split into smaller PRs |
| No review posted | PR targets non-configured branch | Add branch to base_branches |
| Reviews on generated files | Missing path_filters | Add !**/generated/** to path_filters |
| Too many nitpick comments | Profile set to assertive | Switch to chill for experienced teams |
| Config changes not applied | YAML syntax error | Run @coderabbitai configuration to verify |
| Review on draft PR | drafts: true in config | Set drafts: false to skip drafts |
Resources
Next Steps
For configuration tuning and noise reduction, see coderabbit-core-workflow-b.
