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Overview

Use CodeRabbit with Googleā€™s Gemini CLI in a full agentic loop. Code with Gemini, review the changes with CodeRabbit, and fix the issues with Gemini. In this quick guide, youā€™ll learn how to prompt Gemini, what CodeRabbit commands to run, and what to add to your Gemini.md file.

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Video demo

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Prerequisites

1

Install the Gemini CLI

Install the Gemini CLI following the platform-specific instructions. Log in, and check that you can launch Gemini from your terminal.
2

Install CodeRabbit CLI

Install the CodeRabbit CLI globally on your system:
Restart your shell:
Terminal command
3

Log into CodeRabbit

Log into CodeRabbit by running the following command in your terminal:
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.
Authentication persists across Gemini instances - you only need to do this once per machine.
4

Verify authentication

Test that login was successful by running the following command in your terminal:
Terminal command
Success shows your login status and confirms youā€™re logged into CodeRabbit.

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Use CodeRabbit as part of building new features

1

CodeRabbit usage instructions for Gemini CLI

Add the following to your Gemini.md file:
Prompt for Gemini.md file
Feel free to customize the prompt to your needs. In general you want to convey:
  • How to run CodeRabbit, i.e. using the --agent flag and that itā€™s a CLI tool already installed.
  • That itā€™s a long running task and may take a while. Otherwise it may time out.
  • Any guidelines for how you want Gemini to review and implement the changes. i.e. fix only critical issues.
  • Some agents run CodeRabbit multiple times, so let them know the total number of times it should run.
2

Request implementation + review

Ask Gemini to implement a feature and run CodeRabbit analysis with issue fixes:
Prompt for Gemini
Because we added how to run CodeRabbit to your Gemini.md file, Gemini should run it correctly, but itā€™s non-deterministic, so you may need to remind it to reference the Gemini.md file for the instructions.
3

Agentic step: Gemini implements feature and runs CodeRabbit

Gemini: 1. Implements the requested feature 2. Runs coderabbit review --agent 3. Checks CodeRabbitā€™s progress periodically
4

Agentic step: CodeRabbit analysis and task creation

When CodeRabbit completes, Gemini:
  1. Reads the --agent output
  2. Reviews the issues CodeRabbit surfaced
  3. Implements the fixes
5

Agentic step: Loops to stop or resolution

Gemini will run CodeRabbit again to verify the fixes and to make sure no other issues were introduced. This loop will continue until all critical issues are resolved or the loop limit is reached.

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Optimization tips

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Review commands for agent integration

When running CodeRabbit for agent use, choose the review command that best fits your workflow:
Both output formats include specific file locations, problem descriptions, and suggested fix approaches.

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Configure CodeRabbit for Gemini

Pass your Gemini context file with coderabbit review -c GEMINI.md. Add context on how code reviews should run, your coding standards, and architectural preferences. Note this feature is only available on the Pro paid plan.

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Troubleshooting

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CodeRabbit not finding issues

If CodeRabbit isnā€™t detecting expected issues:
  1. Check authentication status: Run coderabbit auth status. Reviews require authentication through coderabbit auth login or an API key.
  2. Verify git status: CodeRabbit analyzes tracked changes by default. Check git status; brand-new untracked files require --include-untracked.
  3. Choose a review scope:
    • coderabbit review - tracked changes
    • coderabbit review --uncommitted - staged changes and tracked local edits
    • coderabbit review --committed - only committed changes
    • coderabbit review --include-untracked - also include files not added to Git
  4. Specify base branch: If your main branch isnā€™t main, use --base:
    • coderabbit review --base develop
    • coderabbit review --base master
  5. Review file types: CodeRabbit focuses on code files, not docs or configuration

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Managing review duration

CodeRabbit reviews may take 7 to 30+ minutes depending on the scope of changes:
  1. Ensure background execution: Configure Gemini to run CodeRabbit in the background so you can continue working
  2. Review smaller changesets: Adjust what youā€™re reviewing to reduce analysis time:
    • Use --uncommitted to review only staged and tracked local edits
    • Work on smaller feature branches compared to main
    • Break large features into smaller, reviewable chunks
  3. Configure the diff scope: Control what changes are analyzed:
    • Review uncommitted changes only: Use --uncommitted to analyze staged and tracked local edits
    • Configure base branch: Use --base develop or --base main to set the comparison point
    • Use feature branches: Work on focused feature branches instead of large staging branches