CodeRabbit Common Errors
Overview
Quick-reference troubleshooting guide for the most common CodeRabbit issues. CodeRabbit is a GitHub/GitLab App that reviews PRs automatically -- most problems are configuration issues, permission gaps, or YAML syntax errors rather than API failures.
Prerequisites
- CodeRabbit GitHub App installed on repository
- Access to GitHub repository settings
.coderabbit.yaml in repository root
Instructions
Step 1: Identify Your Issue Category
| Symptom | Category | Jump To |
|---|
| No review posted on PR | Installation/Permissions | Error 1 |
| Review on some PRs but not others | Configuration | Error 2-4 |
| Too many comments / noise | Tuning | Error 5 |
| Config changes not taking effect | YAML Issues | Error 6 |
| Bot not responding to commands | Interaction | Error 7 |
| Review takes too long | Performance | Error 8 |
Error 1: No Review Posted on PR
Symptoms: PR is open, targeting main, but no CodeRabbit review appears after 15+ minutes.
Diagnosis:
set -euo pipefail
gh api repos/OWNER/REPO/installation --jq '.app_slug' 2>/dev/null || echo "NOT INSTALLED"
Causes & Solutions:
- App not installed: Visit https://github.com/apps/coderabbitai and install on the repo
- Repo not selected: In GitHub > Installed Apps > CodeRabbit, add the specific repository
- No seat assigned: The PR author needs a CodeRabbit seat (app.coderabbit.ai > Subscription)
- Private repo without org plan: Free tier only works on public repos
Error 2: Reviews Only on Some Branches
Symptoms: Reviews appear on PRs to main but not develop or feature branches.
Cause: base_branches filter in configuration only includes specific branches.
Fix:
reviews:
auto_review:
enabled: true
base_branches:
- main
- develop
- "release/*"
- "hotfix/*"
Error 3: Reviews Skip Certain PRs
Symptoms: Some PRs get reviewed, others are silently skipped.
Diagnosis checklist:
reviews:
auto_review:
drafts: false
ignore_title_keywords:
- "WIP"
- "DO NOT MERGE"
- "chore: bump"
Error 4: Reviews Include Generated/Unwanted Files
Symptoms: CodeRabbit comments on lock files, generated code, or build output.
Fix:
reviews:
path_filters:
- "!**/*.lock"
- "!**/package-lock.json"
- "!**/pnpm-lock.yaml"
- "!**/*.snap"
- "!**/generated/**"
- "!dist/**"
- "!**/*.min.js"
- "!vendor/**"
- "!**/*.generated.*"
Error 5: Too Many Comments / Review Noise
Symptoms: CodeRabbit posts 10-20+ comments per PR, most are nitpicks.
Fix:
reviews:
profile: "chill"
path_instructions:
- path: "src/legacy/**"
instructions: |
This is legacy code. Only flag security issues and bugs.
Do NOT suggest refactoring or style changes.
- path: "scripts/**"
instructions: |
One-off scripts. Do not enforce production standards.
Only flag: security issues, destructive ops without confirmation.
Error 6: Configuration Changes Not Taking Effect
Symptoms: You updated .coderabbit.yaml but reviews behave the same way.
Diagnosis:
# In a PR comment, run:
@coderabbitai configuration
# CodeRabbit will reply with the active configuration as YAML.
# Compare with your .coderabbit.yaml to find discrepancies.
# Common causes:
# 1. YAML syntax error - entire config is ignored silently
# 2. Config not on the base branch - CodeRabbit reads config from the PR's base branch
# 3. Organization-level config overriding repo config
# 4. Wrong field name (e.g., "review_instructions" instead of "path_instructions")
YAML validation:
set -euo pipefail
python3 -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('.coderabbit.yaml'))" && echo "YAML OK" || echo "YAML INVALID"
Error 7: Bot Not Responding to PR Comments
Symptoms: You post @coderabbitai full review but nothing happens.
Causes & Solutions:
- Typo in mention: Must be exactly
@coderabbitai (one word, lowercase)
- Comment in wrong location: Commands work in PR comments, not commit comments
- Chat disabled: Ensure
.coderabbit.yaml has chat: auto_reply: true
- Rate limited: Too many commands in quick succession; wait a few minutes
chat:
auto_reply: true
Error 8: Review Takes Too Long (15+ Minutes)
Symptoms: PR opened but CodeRabbit review not posted after 15 minutes.
Causes:
| PR Size | Expected Time | Action |
|---|
| < 200 lines | 2-3 min | Normal, wait |
| 200-500 lines | 3-7 min | Normal, wait |
| 500-1000 lines | 7-12 min | Consider splitting |
| 1000+ lines | 12-15+ min | Split PR or be patient |
If it is been 20+ minutes on a small PR:
1. Check CodeRabbit status: https://status.coderabbit.ai
2. Try: @coderabbitai full review (force re-review)
3. Check GitHub App installation hasn't been suspended
4. Contact support via CodeRabbit Discord or email
Step 2: Verify Fix
After applying a fix, create or update a PR and confirm CodeRabbit behaves as expected:
set -euo pipefail
gh pr comment PR_NUMBER --body "@coderabbitai full review"
gh pr comment PR_NUMBER --body "@coderabbitai configuration"
Output
- Issue identified from symptom-based diagnosis
- Configuration fix applied to
.coderabbit.yaml
- Fix verified via re-review or configuration check
Error Handling
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|
| All reviews stopped suddenly | GitHub App permissions revoked | Reinstall CodeRabbit GitHub App |
| "This repository is not configured" | Repo removed from App access | Re-add repo in GitHub App settings |
| YAML parse error in logs | Invalid .coderabbit.yaml | Validate YAML syntax before committing |
| Stale reviews on old PRs | PR was created before config change | Run @coderabbitai full review |
Resources
Next Steps
For comprehensive debugging, see coderabbit-debug-bundle.
