coderabbit-common-errors

CodeRabbit Common Errors

Overview

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.

Prerequisites

• CodeRabbit GitHub App installed on repository
• Access to GitHub repository settings
• .coderabbit.yaml in repository root

Instructions

Step 1: Identify Your Issue Category

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

Error 1: No Review Posted on PR

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:

1. App not installed: Visit https://github.com/apps/coderabbitai and install on the repo
2. Repo not selected: In GitHub > Installed Apps > CodeRabbit, add the specific repository
3. No seat assigned: The PR author needs a CodeRabbit seat (app.coderabbit.ai > Subscription)
4. Private repo without org plan: Free tier only works on public repos

Error 2: Reviews Only on Some Branches

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

Error 3: Reviews Skip Certain PRs

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

Error 4: Reviews Include Generated/Unwanted Files

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.*"

Error 5: Too Many Comments / Review Noise

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.

Error 6: Configuration Changes Not Taking Effect

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/

Error 7: Bot Not Responding to PR Comments

Symptoms: You post @coderabbitai full review but nothing happens.

Causes & Solutions:

1. Typo in mention: Must be exactly @coderabbitai (one word, lowercase)
2. Comment in wrong location: Commands work in PR comments, not commit comments
3. Chat disabled: Ensure .coderabbit.yaml has chat: auto_reply: true
4. Rate limited: Too many commands in quick succession; wait a few minutes

# .coderabbit.yaml - Ensure chat is enabled
chat:
  auto_reply: true    # Required for @coderabbitai commands to work

Error 8: Review Takes Too Long (15+ Minutes)

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

Step 2: Verify Fix

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"

Output

• Issue identified from symptom-based diagnosis
• Configuration fix applied to .coderabbit.yaml
• Fix verified via re-review or configuration check

Error Handling

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

Resources

• CodeRabbit Configuration Reference
• CodeRabbit FAQ
• CodeRabbit Status Page
• CodeRabbit Discord

Next Steps

For comprehensive debugging, see coderabbit-debug-bundle.