CodeRabbit Local Dev Loop

Overview

Use CodeRabbit CLI to review code locally before opening a PR. The CLI provides the same AI-powered review as the GitHub App but runs in your terminal against staged or unstaged changes. This creates a multi-layered review process: local CLI review before commit, then automated PR review after push.

Prerequisites

CodeRabbit CLI installed (curl -fsSL https://cli.coderabbit.ai/install.sh | sh)
Git repository with .coderabbit.yaml configuration
CodeRabbit account (CLI uses credits: $0.25 per file reviewed)

Instructions

Step 1: Install and Verify CLI

set -euo pipefail
# Install CodeRabbit CLI
curl -fsSL https://cli.coderabbit.ai/install.sh | sh

# Verify installation
cr --version

# Authenticate (opens browser for OAuth)
cr auth login

Step 2: Local Review Workflow

set -euo pipefail
# Review all staged changes (most common workflow)
git add -A
cr review

# Review specific files only
cr review src/api/routes.ts src/middleware/auth.ts

# Interactive mode: ask follow-up questions about review feedback
cr review --interactive

# Plain output mode (pipe to other tools or AI agents)
cr review --prompt-only

Step 3: Git Hook Integration

#!/bin/bash
# .git/hooks/pre-push (make executable: chmod +x .git/hooks/pre-push)
set -euo pipefail

echo "Running CodeRabbit pre-push review..."

# Get list of changed files vs remote
CHANGED_FILES=$(git diff --name-only @{push}.. 2>/dev/null || git diff --name-only HEAD~1)

if [ -n "$CHANGED_FILES" ]; then
  echo "$CHANGED_FILES" | xargs cr review

  # Non-blocking: show review but don't prevent push
  # To make blocking, check exit code:
  # echo "$CHANGED_FILES" | xargs cr review || {
  #   echo "CodeRabbit found issues. Push anyway? (y/n)"
  #   read -r response
  #   [ "$response" != "y" ] && exit 1
  # }
fi

Step 4: Configuration for Local Development

# .coderabbit.yaml - Settings that affect both CLI and PR reviews
language: "en-US"
reviews:
  profile: "assertive"
  path_instructions:
    - path: "src/**"
      instructions: "Check for proper error handling and type safety."
    - path: "tests/**"
      instructions: "Verify edge cases and assertion completeness."
  path_filters:
    - "!**/*.lock"
    - "!dist/**"
    - "!**/*.generated.*"
  auto_review:
    enabled: true
    drafts: false
chat:
  auto_reply: true

Step 5: IDE Integration Pattern

// .vscode/tasks.json - Run CodeRabbit review from VS Code
{
  "version": "2.0.0",
  "tasks": [
    {
      "label": "CodeRabbit: Review Current File",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "cr review ${file}",
      "presentation": { "reveal": "always", "panel": "shared" },
      "problemMatcher": []
    },
    {
      "label": "CodeRabbit: Review Staged Changes",
      "type": "shell",
      "command": "cr review",
      "presentation": { "reveal": "always", "panel": "shared" },
      "problemMatcher": []
    }
  ]
}

Two-Layer Review Strategy

Developer writes code
       │
       ▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ cr review (local) │  ← Layer 1: Fast feedback before commit
│ Fix obvious issues│
└────────┬─────────┘
         │
         ▼
   git commit + push
         │
         ▼
┌──────────────────┐
│ CodeRabbit App   │  ← Layer 2: Full context review on PR
│ (automated PR    │
│  review)         │
└──────────────────┘

Output

CodeRabbit CLI installed and authenticated
Pre-push git hook for automated local reviews
VS Code task integration for on-demand reviews
Two-layer review workflow (local + PR)

Error Handling

Issue	Cause	Solution
`cr: command not found`	CLI not in PATH	Re-run install script or add to PATH
Auth token expired	Session timeout	Run `cr auth login` again
"No credits remaining"	Usage-based billing exhausted	Purchase credits at app.coderabbit.ai
Review hangs on large file	File too large for AI context	Review specific files instead of all
Empty review output	No changed files detected	Stage changes with `git add` first

Resources

Next Steps

See coderabbit-sdk-patterns for PR interaction automation patterns.