Guide for GitLab
Integrate the AI Code Review Agent into your GitLab workflow.
Speed up code reviews by configuring the AI Code Review Agent with your GitLab repositories. In this guide, you'll learn how to set up the Agent to receive automated code reviews that trigger whenever you create a pull request, as well as how to manually initiate reviews using available commands.
The Free Plan offers AI-generated pull request summaries to provide a quick overview of changes. For advanced features like line-level code suggestions, consider upgrading to the 10X Developer Plan. For detailed pricing information, visit our Pricing page.
Video tutorial
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Prerequisites
Before proceeding, ensure you've completed all necessary prerequisites.
1. Create a GitLab Personal Access Token:
For GitLab merge request code reviews, a token with api scope is required. Make sure that the token is created by a GitLab user who has the Maintainer access role.
We recommend setting the token expiration to at least one year. This prevents the token from expiring early and avoids disruptions in the AI Code Review Agent's functionality.
Additionally, we highly recommend updating the token before expiry to maintain seamless integration and code review processes.
2. Authorizing a GitLab Personal Access Token for use with SAML single sign-on:
If your GitLab organization enforces SAML Single Sign-On (SSO), you must authorize your Personal Access Token through your Identity Provider (IdP); otherwise, Bito's AI Code Review Agent won't function properly.
For more information, please refer to these GitLab documentation:
Installation and configuration steps
Follow the step-by-step instructions below to install the AI Code Review Agent using Bito Cloud:
Step 1: Log in to Bito
Log in to Bito Cloud and select a workspace to get started.
Step 2: Open the Code Review Agents setup
Navigate to the Code Review Agents setup page via the sidebar.
Step 3: Select your Git provider
Bito supports integration with the following Git providers:
GitHub
GitHub (Self-Managed)
GitLab
GitLab (Self-Managed)
Bitbucket
Since we are setting up the Agent for GitLab, select GitLab to proceed.
Step 4: Connect Bito to GitLab
To enable merge request reviews, you’ll need to connect your Bito workspace to your GitLab account.
You can either connect using OAuth (recommended) for a seamless, one-click setup or manually enter your Personal Access Token.
To connect via OAuth, simply click the Connect with OAuth (Recommended) button. This will redirect you to the GitLab website, where you'll need to log in. Once authenticated, you'll be redirected back to Bito, confirming a successful connection.
If you prefer not to use OAuth, you can connect manually using a Personal Access Token.
Start by generating a Personal Access Token with api scope in your GitLab account. For guidance, refer to the instructions in the Prerequisites section.
Once generated, click the Alternatively, use Personal or Group Access Token button.
Now, enter the token into the Personal Access Token input field in Bito.
Click Validate to ensure the token is functioning properly.
If you've successfully connected via OAuth or manually validated your token, you can select your GitLab Group from the dropdown menu.
Click Connect Bito to GitLab to proceed.
Step 5: Enable AI Code Review Agent on repositories
After connecting Bito to your GitLab account, you need to enable the AI Code Review Agent for your repositories.
Click the Go to repository list button to view all repositories Bito can access in your GitLab account.
Use the toggles in the Code Review Status column to enable or disable the Agent for each repository.
To customize the Agent’s behavior, you can edit existing configurations or create new Agents as needed.
Step 6: Automated and manual merge request reviews
Once a repository is enabled, you can invoke the AI Code Review Agent in the following ways:
Automated code review: By default, the Agent automatically reviews all new merge requests and provides detailed feedback.
Manually trigger code review: To initiate a manual review, simply type
/reviewin the comment box on the merge request and submit it. This action will start the code review process.
The AI-generated code review feedback will be posted as comments directly within your merge request, making it seamless to view and address suggestions right where they matter most.
Note: To enhance efficiency, the AI Code Review Agent is disabled by default for merge requests involving the "main", "master", and all non-default branches. This prevents unnecessary processing and token usage, as changes to these branches are typically already reviewed in release or feature branches. To modify this default behavior and include the "main" or "master" branches, you can use the Source or Target branch filter.
However, pull requests merging into your repository’s default branch are always reviewed, even if the branch is added in the exclusion list.
The AI Code Review Agent automatically reviews code changes up to 5000 lines when a merge request is created. For larger changes, you can use the /review command.
It may take a few minutes to get the code review posted as a comment, depending on the size of the merge request.
Step 7: Specialized commands for code reviews
Bito also offers specialized commands that are designed to provide detailed insights into specific areas of your source code, including security, performance, scalability, code structure, and optimization.
/review security: Analyzes code to identify security vulnerabilities and ensure secure coding practices./review performance: Evaluates code for performance issues, identifying slow or resource-heavy areas./review scalability: Assesses the code's ability to handle increased usage and scale effectively./review codeorg: Scans for readability and maintainability, promoting clear and efficient code organization./review codeoptimize: Identifies optimization opportunities to enhance code efficiency and reduce resource usage.
By default, the /review command generates inline comments, meaning that code suggestions are inserted directly beneath the code diffs in each file. This approach provides a clearer view of the exact lines requiring improvement. However, if you prefer a code review in a single post rather than separate inline comments under the diffs, you can include the optional parameter: /review #inline_comment=False
For more details, refer to Available Commands.
Screenshots
Screenshot # 1
AI-generated merge request (MR) summary
Screenshot # 2
Changelist showing key changes and impacted files in a merge request.
Screenshot # 3
AI code review feedback posted as comments on the merge request.
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