Execute CodeRabbit production deployment checklist and rollback procedures.
Use when deploying CodeRabbit integrations to production, preparing for launch,
or implementing go-live procedures.
Trigger with phrases like "coderabbit production", "deploy coderabbit",
"coderabbit go-live", "coderabbit launch checklist".
Complete checklist for deploying CodeRabbit as a production merge gate. Covers the transition from "optional AI review" to "required status check that blocks merges." Ensures configuration is tuned, team is onboarded, and fallback procedures are documented.
Prerequisites
CodeRabbit installed and running in non-blocking mode for 1-2 weeks
Team has seen CodeRabbit reviews and provided feedback
.coderabbit.yaml tuned based on pilot feedback
GitHub organization admin access
Instructions
Step 1: Pre-Launch Configuration Audit
# Run through each item before going live:
## App Installation
- [ ] CodeRabbit GitHub App installed on all target repos
- [ ] Repository access scoped correctly (all repos vs select)
- [ ] Seat assignment policy set (active committers vs manual)
- [ ] Bot accounts excluded from seats (dependabot, renovate)
## Configuration
- [ ] `.coderabbit.yaml` committed to main branch
- [ ] YAML syntax validated (no parse errors)
- [ ] `auto_review.enabled: true`
- [ ] `auto_review.drafts: false` (skip draft PRs)
- [ ] `base_branches` includes all target branches (main, develop)
- [ ] `path_filters` excludes generated/lock/vendor files
- [ ] `path_instructions` configured for key directories
- [ ] `chat.auto_reply: true`
## Review Behavior
- [ ] Profile set to "assertive" (or team's preferred level)
- [ ] `request_changes_workflow` decision documented:
- `true`: CodeRabbit blocks merge when issues found
- `false`: CodeRabbit only comments (non-blocking)
- [ ] Org-level defaults in `.github/.coderabbit.yaml` if multi-repo
Step 2: Validate Configuration
set -euo pipefail
echo "=== CodeRabbit Production Readiness Check ==="
# 1. YAML syntax
echo "--- Config Validation ---"
if [ -f .coderabbit.yaml ]; then
python3 -c "
import yaml, sys
try:
config = yaml.safe_load(open('.coderabbit.yaml'))
print('YAML syntax: PASS')
reviews = config.get('reviews', {})
auto = reviews.get('auto_review', {})
checks = {
'auto_review.enabled': auto.get('enabled', False) == True,
'auto_review.drafts': auto.get('drafts', True) == False,
'path_filters configured': len(reviews.get('path_filters', [])) > 0,
'path_instructions configured': len(reviews.get('path_instructions', [])) > 0,
'chat.auto_reply': config.get('chat', {}).get('auto_reply', False) == True,
}
for name, passed in checks.items():
status = 'PASS' if passed else 'WARN'
print(f' {name}: {status}')
if all(checks.values()):
print('Overall: READY FOR PRODUCTION')
else:
print('Overall: Review warnings above before going live')
except yaml.YAMLError as e:
print(f'YAML syntax: FAIL ({e})')
sys.exit(1)
" 2>&1
else
echo "FAIL: .coderabbit.yaml not found"
fi
Step 3: Verify Review History
set -euo pipefail
OWNER="${1:-your-org}"
REPO="${2:-your-repo}"
echo ""
echo "--- Review History Check ---"
REVIEWED=0
TOTAL=0
for PR_NUM in $(gh api "repos/$OWNER/$REPO/pulls?state=all&per_page=20" --jq '.[].number'); do
TOTAL=$((TOTAL + 1))
CR=$(gh api "repos/$OWNER/$REPO/pulls/$PR_NUM/reviews" \
--jq '[.[] | select(.user.login=="coderabbitai[bot]")] | length' 2>/dev/null || echo "0")
[ "$CR" -gt 0 ] && REVIEWED=$((REVIEWED + 1))
done
echo "Coverage: $REVIEWED/$TOTAL PRs reviewed by CodeRabbit"
if [ "$TOTAL" -gt 0 ] && [ "$((REVIEWED * 100 / TOTAL))" -lt 80 ]; then
echo "WARNING: Coverage below 80%. Check base_branches and ignore_title_keywords."
else
echo "Coverage: PASS"
fi
Step 4: Team Readiness Checklist
## Team Onboarding
- [ ] Team briefed on CodeRabbit (what it does, how to interact)
- [ ] Quick reference shared:
- `@coderabbitai full review` — re-review from scratch
- `@coderabbitai summary` — regenerate walkthrough
- `@coderabbitai resolve` — mark all comments resolved
- `@coderabbitai help` — list all commands
- [ ] Team knows to reply to comments to train learnings
- [ ] "WIP" in PR title skips review (documented)
- [ ] Escalation path defined for false positives
## Fallback Procedures
- [ ] Admin merge bypass documented (for emergencies)
- [ ] Process for temporarily disabling CodeRabbit:
1. Remove from branch protection required checks
2. Set `auto_review.enabled: false` in config
3. Or uninstall the GitHub App from the repo
- [ ] Contact info for CodeRabbit support documented
Step 5: Enable as Required Check
set -euo pipefail
OWNER="${1:-your-org}"
REPO="${2:-your-repo}"
echo ""
echo "--- Enabling CodeRabbit as Required Check ---"
# Update branch protection to require CodeRabbit
gh api "repos/$OWNER/$REPO/branches/main/protection" \
--method PUT \
--field 'required_status_checks={"strict":true,"contexts":["coderabbitai"]}' \
--field 'required_pull_request_reviews={"required_approving_review_count":1}' \
--field 'enforce_admins=false' \
--field 'restrictions=null'
echo "DONE: CodeRabbit is now a required check on $OWNER/$REPO main branch"
echo ""
echo "To revert (emergency):"
echo " gh api repos/$OWNER/$REPO/branches/main/protection --method DELETE"
# First 48 hours after go-live:
## Monitor:
- [ ] All PRs to main are getting CodeRabbit reviews
- [ ] No PRs blocked by CodeRabbit timeout (> 15 min)
- [ ] Team is not overwhelmed by review volume
- [ ] No legitimate emergency PRs blocked
## Week 1 review:
- [ ] Review coverage > 90%
- [ ] No team complaints about false positives
- [ ] Learnings being created from feedback
- [ ] Emergency bypass has not been needed (or was used correctly)
