CodeRabbit CLI and Configuration

Local-first AI code review: catch issues before they reach the PR. The CodeRabbit CLI (coderabbit, alias cr) reviews working-tree or branch changes locally, so the PR-side review becomes confirmation instead of iteration -- this saves billable PR review rounds (both CodeRabbit's own quota and any Copilot credits). Covers the CLI surface and .coderabbit.yaml tuning. PR-side mechanics (threads, re-requests, the bot loop) live in the git-pr skill.

When to Use

Reviewing local changes -- "review my changes", "run coderabbit", pre-commit/pre-push/pre-PR checks
Driving a review-fix loop -- run review, fix valid findings, re-run to verify
Configuring CodeRabbit -- create or tune .coderabbit.yaml, reduce review noise, disable redundant linters
Checking limits -- rate limits per plan, review budgeting
Setting up the CLI -- install, auth, headless/CI usage

Critical Rules

Reviews upload code to CodeRabbit's service. A review sends the diff (and context) to CodeRabbit. On a repo with sensitive/unpublished code, confirm the user is OK with that before the first run.
Reviews consume a per-hour quota (Free: 3/hour CLI reviews). Scope deliberately (--committed/--uncommitted, --base) and use coderabbit review findings to replay the last result without spending a review.
Use --agent output when driving fixes programmatically; the default plain-text mode is for humans. There is no --plain flag (and no --type): both were removed in v0.7 and fail with error: unknown option -- the CLI then prints its usage text and exits 0, so a piped or tailed run looks clean while nothing was reviewed. Do not guess flags; the table under CLI Reference is the whole surface.
Validate findings before fixing -- same rule as PR reviews: judge each finding on its merits; never blind-fix to silence the tool.
CodeRabbit is optional -- check the Code Review Policy first (repo AGENTS.md/CLAUDE.md, falling back to the user's global agent instructions; see git-pr skill) for the preferred reviewer and checkpoints. Never install, authenticate, or run it on a project whose policy or user hasn't opted in.