Local Code Review

Use the /review command to analyze local code changes with AI-powered review workflows

Overview

The /review command provides a local workflow for analyzing code changes with AI-powered insights. It offers multiple review modes to fit different development scenarios, from reviewing uncommitted changes to analyzing full branches or specific commits.

When you run /review, droid guides you through selecting a review type, configuring parameters, and then performs a comprehensive analysis of your code changes based on industry-standard review guidelines.

Quick start

1
Start the review flow
In a local droid session, type:
Bash
/review
2
Select a review type
Choose from four review presets:
- Review against a base branch - PR-style review comparing your branch to a base branch
- Review uncommitted changes - Analyze working directory changes (staged, unstaged, and untracked)
- Review a commit - Examine a specific commit from history
- Custom review instructions - Define your own review criteria
3
Configure parameters
Depending on your selection:
- For base branch reviews: Select the target branch (e.g., main, develop)
- For commit reviews: Choose a commit from the interactive list
- For custom reviews: Enter your review instructions
4
Review the findings
Droid analyzes the code changes and provides:
- Prioritized findings with severity levels [P0-P3]
- Specific file locations and line numbers
- Suggested fixes with code suggestions
- Overall assessment of the changes

Review types

Review against a base branch

Compare your current branch against a base branch (like a pull request review). This is ideal for pre-PR reviews or checking what changes would be merged.

How it works:

1
Select "Review against a base branch"
2
Choose your target base branch from the list (local and remote branches shown)
3
Droid finds the merge base and reviews the diff

Use cases:

Pre-commit PR reviews
Checking branch changes before creating a pull request
Validating feature branch against main/develop

Example workflow:

> /review
# Select: Review against a base branch
# Choose: origin/main
# Droid reviews all changes that would be merged

Review uncommitted changes

Analyze all current working directory changes: staged files, unstaged modifications, and untracked files.

Use cases:

Quick sanity check before committing
Reviewing work in progress
Finding issues early in development

Example workflow:

> /review
# Select: Review uncommitted changes
# Droid immediately reviews all working directory changes

Review a commit

Examine the changes introduced by a specific commit in your repository history.

How it works:

1
Select "Review a commit"
2
Browse commits with hash, message, author, and date
3
Select a commit to review

Use cases:

Reviewing recent commits for issues
Understanding changes in a specific commit
Post-merge review of teammate's work

Example workflow:

> /review
# Select: Review a commit
# Browse and select: abc1234 - "Add user authentication"
# Droid reviews that specific commit's changes

Custom review instructions

Define your own review criteria for specialized analysis.

Use cases:

Performance analysis
Checking specific coding standards
Domain-specific validations

Example workflow:

> /review
# Select: Custom review instructions
# Enter: "Focus on performance regressions and unnecessary re-renders"
# Droid performs a targeted review

Review guidelines

All code reviews follow a structured rubric designed to produce actionable, high-quality feedback.

Severity levels

Priority	Meaning	Typical response
`[P0]`	Critical issue blocking release or operations.	Fix immediately before merge or deploy.
`[P1]`	Urgent issue that should be addressed in the next cycle.	Fix before the work is considered complete.
`[P2]`	Normal priority issue to fix eventually.	Track or fix when practical.
`[P3]`	Low-priority nice-to-have improvement.	Consider if it aligns with nearby work.

Bug detection criteria

The AI flags an issue as a bug only when all of these are true:

Criterion	Meaning
Meaningful impact	Affects accuracy, performance, security, or maintainability.
Discrete and actionable	Clear, specific issue with a clear fix.
Appropriate rigor	Does not demand more rigor than the rest of the codebase.
Introduced in changes	Added by the reviewed changes, not pre-existing.
Worth fixing	The author would likely fix it if made aware.
No unstated assumptions	Based on verifiable facts, not speculation.
Provably affected	Identifies specific affected code, not a theoretical risk.
Not intentional	Clearly not a deliberate design choice.

Comment and output standards

Area	Standard
Reasoning	Explain why the issue matters and which conditions trigger it.
Severity	Use `[P0]` through `[P3]` to communicate impact accurately.
Brevity	Keep each finding to one paragraph.
Code snippets	Limit Markdown code chunks to three lines.
Tone	Stay matter-of-fact and avoid accusatory language or excessive flattery.
Finding title	Use a clear title, 80 characters or fewer, in imperative mood.
Location	Include file paths and line numbers when applicable.
Suggested fix	Include a concrete replacement only when it is safe and specific.
Overall assessment	State whether the changes are correct or incorrect, plus a one to three sentence summary.

Tips and best practices

Making the most of reviews

Run reviews frequently during development, not just before commits
Use custom instructions for domain-specific concerns your team cares about
Treat P0/P1 findings seriously, they represent real issues worth addressing
Review the overall assessment for context on whether changes are sound

Navigating the review UI

Press Esc to go back at any step in the review flow
From the preset selection, Esc closes the review overlay
Use arrow keys to navigate branch/commit lists
Type to filter branches by name in real-time

Automated reviews in CI

The /review command is meant for local CLI sessions. For automated PR reviews in CI/CD, use the Automated Code Review workflow, which supports:

Automatic PR reviews triggered by pull request events or comments
Review depth (deep or shallow) to control thoroughness and cost
Custom review guidelines for repository-specific checks

Set it up by running droid and entering /install-code-review, or run a one-off review with:

Bash

droid exec "Review the changes in this PR for correctness and performance regressions"

See the Automated Code Review guide for full configuration options.

Related resources

CLI Reference

Complete command reference including /review.

Automated Code Review

Wire Droid review into GitHub Actions for every pull request.