CodeRabbit Migration Deep Dive
Overview
Comprehensive guide for migrating to CodeRabbit from other AI code review tools (Codacy, SonarCloud, DeepSource, Sourcery) or from manual-only code review. Covers assessment, phased rollout, configuration transfer, team buy-in, and measuring success.
Prerequisites
- GitHub/GitLab organization admin access
- Inventory of current review tools and their configurations
- Understanding of team review workflows
- Budget approval for CodeRabbit seats
Migration Types
| From | Complexity | Duration | Key Challenge |
|---|
| Manual-only reviews | Low | 1-2 weeks | Team adoption |
| Codacy / SonarCloud | Medium | 2-3 weeks | Rule translation |
| DeepSource / Sourcery | Medium | 2-3 weeks | Config migration |
| Custom review bots | High | 3-4 weeks | Workflow redesign |
| Multiple tools | High | 4-6 weeks | Consolidation |
Instructions
Step 1: Assess Current State
set -euo pipefail
ORG="${1:-your-org}"
echo "=== Code Review Tool Assessment ==="
echo "--- Installed GitHub Apps ---"
gh api "orgs/$ORG/installations" --jq '.installations[] | "\(.app_slug) (ID: \(.id))"' 2>/dev/null
echo ""
echo "--- Review Tool Config Files ---"
for REPO in $(gh repo list "$ORG" --limit 20 --json name --jq '.[].name'); do
for CONFIG in ".codacy.yml" "sonar-project.properties" ".deepsource.toml" ".sourcery.yaml" ".coderabbit.yaml"; do
EXISTS=$(gh api "repos/$ORG/$REPO/contents/$CONFIG" --jq '.name' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
if [ -n "$EXISTS" ]; then
echo " $REPO: $CONFIG"
fi
done
done
Step 2: Map Review Rules to CodeRabbit Path Instructions
reviews:
path_instructions:
- path: "src/**/*.ts"
instructions: |
Check for:
- Functions with cyclomatic complexity > 10 (suggest refactoring)
- Missing error handling in async operations
- Empty catch blocks
- Unused variables and imports
- path: "src/components/**"
instructions: |
React-specific checks:
- No conditional hooks
- Proper cleanup in useEffect
- Memoization for expensive computations
- Accessibility (aria labels, keyboard navigation)
- path: "**/*.py"
instructions: |
Python best practices:
- Suggest list comprehensions over manual loops where appropriate
- Flag mutable default arguments
- Check for proper context manager usage
Step 3: Phase 1 -- Parallel Run (Week 1-2)
reviews:
profile: "chill"
request_changes_workflow: false
high_level_summary: true
auto_review:
enabled: true
drafts: false
base_branches: [main, develop]
path_filters:
- "!**/*.lock"
- "!**/*.snap"
- "!dist/**"
- "!vendor/**"
chat:
auto_reply: true
# During parallel run, track:
1. Comment quality: Are CodeRabbit comments actionable?
2. Coverage: Does it catch what the old tool catches?
3. Speed: Is review posted before human reviewers start?
4. Noise: Are there many false positives?
5. Team reaction: Do developers find it helpful?
Step 4: Phase 2 -- Primary Tool (Week 3-4)
reviews:
profile: "assertive"
request_changes_workflow: true
high_level_summary: true
sequence_diagrams: true
auto_review:
enabled: true
drafts: false
base_branches: [main, develop]
path_instructions:
- path: "src/api/**"
instructions: |
Review for: input validation, proper HTTP status codes,
auth middleware usage, error response format.
- path: "src/db/**"
instructions: |
Review for: parameterized queries, transaction boundaries,
connection cleanup, index usage. Flag N+1 patterns.
- path: "**/*.test.*"
instructions: |
Review for: assertion completeness, edge cases, async handling.
Do NOT comment on test naming or import order.
path_filters:
- "!**/*.lock"
- "!**/*.snap"
- "!**/generated/**"
Step 5: Phase 3 -- Decommission Old Tool (Week 4-6)
set -euo pipefail
ORG="${1:-your-org}"
echo "=== Old Tool Decommission Checklist ==="
echo "--- Config Files to Remove ---"
for REPO in $(gh repo list "$ORG" --limit 50 --json name --jq '.[].name'); do
for CONFIG in ".codacy.yml" "sonar-project.properties" ".deepsource.toml" ".sourcery.yaml"; do
EXISTS=$(gh api "repos/$ORG/$REPO/contents/$CONFIG" --jq '.name' 2>/dev/null || echo "")
if [ -n "$EXISTS" ]; then
echo " rm $REPO/$CONFIG"
fi
done
done
echo ""
echo "--- Steps ---"
echo "1. Remove old tool GitHub App from org settings"
echo "2. Delete old tool config files from repos"
echo "3. Update branch protection rules (replace old check with coderabbitai)"
echo
Step 6: Measure Migration Success
set -euo pipefail
ORG="${1:-your-org}"
REPO="${2:-your-repo}"
echo "=== CodeRabbit Adoption Metrics ==="
TOTAL=0
REVIEWED=0
for PR_NUM in $(gh api "repos/$ORG/$REPO/pulls?state=closed&per_page=30" --jq '.[].number'); do
TOTAL=$((TOTAL + 1))
CR=$(gh api "repos/$ORG/$REPO/pulls/$PR_NUM/reviews" \
--jq '[.[] | select(.user.login=="coderabbitai[bot]")] | length' 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
[ "$CR" -gt 0 ] && REVIEWED=$((REVIEWED + 1))
done
echo "Review coverage: $REVIEWED/$TOTAL PRs ($(( REVIEWED * 100 / (TOTAL > 0 ? TOTAL : 1) ))%)"
echo ""
echo "Target metrics:"
echo " - Coverage > 90%: CodeRabbit reviewing most PRs"
echo " - Time-to-review < 5 min: Fast feedback loop"
echo " - Team satisfaction: Survey developers after 2 weeks"
Output
- Current review tool assessment completed
- Rule translation from old tool to CodeRabbit path_instructions
- Phased migration plan executed
- Old tool decommissioned
- Adoption metrics measured
Error Handling
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|
| Old tool conflicts with CodeRabbit | Both posting reviews | Run parallel briefly, then disable old tool |
| Rules don't translate 1:1 | Different analysis approaches | Focus on intent, not exact rule matching |
| Team prefers old tool | Familiarity bias | Run parallel for 2 weeks, compare results |
| Branch protection breaks | Old check name removed | Update to coderabbitai check name |
| Higher seat cost than old tool | Per-seat vs per-repo pricing | Scope repos to reduce seat count |
Resources
Next Steps
For ongoing configuration tuning, see coderabbit-core-workflow-b.
