Diagnose and fix CodeRabbit common errors and exceptions. Use when encountering CodeRabbit errors, debugging failed requests, or troubleshooting integration issues. Trigger with phrases like "coderabbit error", "fix coderabbit", "coderabbit not working", "debug coderabbit".
npxskills add jeremylongshore/claude-code-plugins-plus-skills--skill coderabbit-common-errorsLoading…
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.
.coderabbit.yaml in repository root| 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 |
Symptoms: PR is open, targeting main, but no CodeRabbit review appears after 15+ minutes.
Diagnosis:
set -euo pipefail
# Check if CodeRabbit App is installed on this repo
gh api repos/OWNER/REPO/installation --jq '.app_slug' 2>/dev/null || echo "NOT INSTALLED"
# Check if the PR author has a CodeRabbit seat
# Go to app.coderabbit.ai > Organization > Seats
Causes & Solutions:
Symptoms: Reviews appear on PRs to main but not develop or feature branches.
Cause: base_branches filter in configuration only includes specific branches.
Fix:
# .coderabbit.yaml
reviews:
auto_review:
enabled: true
base_branches:
- main
- develop
- "release/*" # Glob patterns work
- "hotfix/*"
# Remove base_branches entirely to review PRs to ALL branches
Symptoms: Some PRs get reviewed, others are silently skipped.
Diagnosis checklist:
# Check these .coderabbit.yaml settings:
reviews:
auto_review:
drafts: false # Draft PRs are skipped (expected behavior)
ignore_title_keywords: # PRs with these keywords in title are skipped
- "WIP"
- "DO NOT MERGE"
- "chore: bump" # This skips dependency update PRs
# Also check: Is the PR author a bot?
# Bot PRs (dependabot, renovate) may not trigger reviews
# unless bot accounts have CodeRabbit seats
Symptoms: CodeRabbit comments on lock files, generated code, or build output.
Fix:
# .coderabbit.yaml - Add path filters
reviews:
path_filters:
- "!**/*.lock"
- "!**/package-lock.json"
- "!**/pnpm-lock.yaml"
- "!**/*.snap"
- "!**/generated/**"
- "!dist/**"
- "!**/*.min.js"
- "!vendor/**"
- "!**/*.generated.*"
Symptoms: CodeRabbit posts 10-20+ comments per PR, most are nitpicks.
Fix:
# .coderabbit.yaml - Reduce comment volume
reviews:
profile: "chill" # Fewer comments, only significant issues
# Options: chill (fewest) → assertive (balanced) → nitpicky (most)
# Give context to prevent misguided comments
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.
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
# Validate YAML syntax
python3 -c "import yaml; yaml.safe_load(open('.coderabbit.yaml'))" && echo "YAML OK" || echo "YAML INVALID"
# Or use an online validator: https://www.yamllint.com/
Symptoms: You post @coderabbitai full review but nothing happens.
Causes & Solutions:
@coderabbitai (one word, lowercase).coderabbit.yaml has chat: auto_reply: true# .coderabbit.yaml - Ensure chat is enabled
chat:
auto_reply: true # Required for @coderabbitai commands to work
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
After applying a fix, create or update a PR and confirm CodeRabbit behaves as expected:
set -euo pipefail
# Force a re-review on an existing PR
gh pr comment PR_NUMBER --body "@coderabbitai full review"
# Or check the active config
gh pr comment PR_NUMBER --body "@coderabbitai configuration"
.coderabbit.yaml| 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 |
For comprehensive debugging, see coderabbit-debug-bundle.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Create or update AgentSkills. Use when designing, structuring, or packaging skills with scripts, references, and assets.
Set up and use 1Password CLI (op). Use when installing the CLI, enabling desktop app integration, signing in (single or multi-account), or reading/injecting/running secrets via op.
CLI to manage emails via IMAP/SMTP. Use `himalaya` to list, read, write, reply, forward, search, and organize emails from the terminal. Supports multiple accounts and message composition with MML (MIME Meta Language).