CodeRabbit Documentation - AI code reviews on pull requests, IDE, and CLI
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Autonomous AI development workflows

The CodeRabbit plugin for Claude Code creates autonomous AI development workflows. Claude Code can trigger CodeRabbit reviews directly through simple commands, enabling you to build features, run code reviews, and fix issues without manual intervention. This integration makes AI coding more independent, with built-in quality gates that catch issues before they reach production.
This guide covers integrating CodeRabbit CLI with Claude Code. For standalone CLI usage, see CLI overview.
Windows users: Claude Code requires WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) to run on Windows. See our WSL on Windows guide for setup instructions before proceeding with this integration.
CodeRabbit analyzes your code changes and surfaces specific issues, then Claude Code applies fixes based on CodeRabbit’s context-rich feedback.

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Why integrate these tools

Expert issue detection

CodeRabbit spots race conditions, memory leaks, and logic errors that generic linters miss. Same pattern recognition that powers our PR reviews.

AI-powered fixes

Claude Code implements fixes with full context from CodeRabbit’s analysis. Complex architectural changes handled intelligently.

Context preservation

CodeRabbit provides Claude Code with succinct context about issues, including location, severity, and suggested approaches.

Continuous workflow

Stay in development flow - run reviews, apply fixes, and iterate without switching tools or losing mental context.

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Video demo

See CodeRabbit CLI in action with Claude Code:

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Installation

1

Install Claude Code

Install Claude Code following the platform-specific instructions. Ensure you can launch Claude Code from your terminal.
2

Install and authenticate CodeRabbit CLI

Install and authenticate the CodeRabbit CLI:
curl -fsSL https://cli.coderabbit.ai/install.sh | sh
Authenticate
coderabbit auth login
A browser window opens automatically. Sign in to CodeRabbit and the authentication completes in the browser.If you belong to multiple CodeRabbit organizations, the sign-in choice sets your default org only. Review attribution still depends on the current repository. See Organization selection.
3

Install CodeRabbit plugin

In Claude Code, install the plugin using one of these methods:
/plugin install coderabbit
4

Verify installation

The plugin will automatically verify your CodeRabbit CLI installation and authentication when first used. You can also test it with:
/coderabbit:review

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Usage

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Running code reviews

Use the /coderabbit:review command to trigger a review: 
/coderabbit:review
The command will:
  • Verify CLI installation and authentication
  • Run the code review
  • Present findings grouped by severity

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Review options

Customize your review with these options: 
/coderabbit:review                    # Review all changes
/coderabbit:review committed          # Only committed changes
/coderabbit:review uncommitted        # Only uncommitted changes
/coderabbit:review --base main        # Compare against main branch

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Natural language interface

You can also trigger reviews using natural language:
  • “Review my code”
  • “Check for security issues”
  • “What’s wrong with my changes?”
Claude Code will automatically invoke the CodeRabbit plugin to perform the review.

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Integration workflow

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Use CodeRabbit as part of building new features

1

Request implementation + review

Ask Claude Code to implement a feature and run a CodeRabbit review:
Sample prompt
Please implement phase 7.3 of the planning doc and then review it with CodeRabbit. Fix any issues that are found.
Key components:
  • Implement the feature: Claude codes the requested functionality
  • Run CodeRabbit review: Uses the plugin to analyze code
  • Fix issues: Claude addresses all problems CodeRabbit identifies
2

Claude implements and triggers review

Claude Code:
  1. Implements the requested feature
  2. Runs /coderabbit:review through the plugin
  3. Waits for the analysis to complete
3

CodeRabbit analysis and task creation

When CodeRabbit completes, Claude Code:
  1. Receives the review findings with file locations and severity
  2. Creates a task list addressing each issue
  3. Shows you the planned fixes before implementing them
4

Automated issue resolution

Claude Code systematically works through the task list, implementing fixes for each CodeRabbit finding. The cycle continues until all critical issues are resolved.

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Example: API integration implementation

This example shows the workflow implementing a webhook handler for payment processing:
1

Start implementation

# Working on payment webhook feature
git checkout -b feature/payment-webhooks
2

Run integrated workflow

Tell Claude Code to implement and review:
Implement the payment webhook handler from the spec document.
Then review it with CodeRabbit and fix any issues.
3

CodeRabbit analysis

CodeRabbit analyzes the webhook code and identifies issues:
  • Missing signature verification
  • Race conditions in payment state updates
  • Insufficient error handling for network failures
  • Webhook replay attack vulnerabilities
4

Claude Code fixes

Claude Code automatically applies fixes:
  • Adds HMAC signature verification
  • Implements database transactions for state consistency
  • Adds retry logic with exponential backoff
  • Includes idempotency key handling
5

Verification

The workflow continues until all critical issues are resolved. Claude Code reports completion.

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Advanced usage

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CLI review commands

When running the CodeRabbit CLI directly outside the plugin, use the review command that best fits your workflow: 
# Agent mode - structured JSON output for agent workflows
coderabbit --agent

# Plain mode - detailed terminal output
coderabbit --plain

# Lighter local review policy
coderabbit --light
The /coderabbit:review plugin command uses the appropriate mode automatically.

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Reviewing specific changes

Review only uncommitted changes: 
/coderabbit:review uncommitted
Review only committed changes: 
/coderabbit:review committed

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Comparing against different branches

Compare your changes against a specific branch: 
/coderabbit:review --base develop
/coderabbit:review --base master

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Combining with natural language

You can combine natural language requests with specific review options: 
Review my uncommitted changes for security issues
Claude Code will interpret this and run the appropriate /coderabbit:review command with the correct options.

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Configuration

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Configure CodeRabbit for Claude Code

CodeRabbit automatically reads your claude.md file, so you can add context there on how code reviews should run, your coding standards, and architectural preferences.
This is a Pro paid plan feature.

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Troubleshooting

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Plugin not found

If the plugin isn’t available:
  1. Verify marketplace access: Ensure you’ve added the marketplace: 
    /plugin marketplace add coderabbitai/claude-plugin
  2. Check plugin installation: Verify the plugin is installed: 
    /plugin list
  3. Reinstall if needed: Remove and reinstall the plugin: 
    /plugin uninstall coderabbit
/plugin install coderabbit

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CLI not authenticated

If you see authentication errors:
  1. Check CLI authentication: Run coderabbit auth status in your terminal
  2. Re-authenticate: Run coderabbit auth login to refresh your credentials
  3. Verify CLI installation: Ensure the CLI is in your PATH and accessible from Claude Code’s environment

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CodeRabbit not finding issues

If CodeRabbit isn’t detecting expected issues:
  1. Check git status: CodeRabbit analyzes tracked changes - run git status to verify
  2. Specify review scope: Use options to target specific changes:
  3. Specify base branch: If your main branch isn’t main, use:
  4. Review file types: CodeRabbit focuses on code files, not docs or configuration

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Claude Code not applying fixes

If Claude Code isn’t implementing CodeRabbit’s suggestions:
  1. Provide explicit context: Tell Claude Code to “fix the issues found by CodeRabbit” explicitly
  2. Check review completion: Ensure the review has finished before asking for fixes
  3. Review findings manually: Ask Claude to “show me the CodeRabbit findings” to verify they were received
  4. Iterate on specific issues: Ask Claude to focus on fixing specific issues one at a time

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Review taking too long

CodeRabbit reviews may take 7 to 30+ minutes depending on the scope of changes:
  1. Review smaller changesets: Adjust what you’re reviewing to reduce analysis time:
    • Use /coderabbit:review uncommitted to review only uncommitted changes
    • Work on smaller feature branches compared to main
    • Break large features into smaller, reviewable chunks
  2. Configure the diff scope: Control what changes are analyzed:
    • Review uncommitted changes only: Use uncommitted option to analyze just working directory changes
    • Configure base branch: Use --base to set the comparison point
    • Use feature branches: Work on focused feature branches instead of large staging branches
The integration creates a more thorough review process than either tool alone. Expect comprehensive analysis that catches issues that would otherwise reach production.