install-coderabbit-cli

Install the CodeRabbit CLI

Bootstrap CodeRabbit on a developer's machine: install the CLI, log in, and install its Claude Code plugin. Based on https://docs.coderabbit.ai/cli/claude-code-integration.

Prerequisites: Claude Code installed and working. Windows users need WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) — run everything below inside WSL.

1. Install the CLI

Detect the OS and pick a method, then verify.

macOS / Linux / WSL (primary — install script):

curl -fsSL https://cli.coderabbit.ai/install.sh | sh

Homebrew (macOS):

brew install coderabbit

• coderabbit --version prints a version (re-open the shell first if the installer added it to your PATH)

2. Authenticate

Opens a browser window to complete sign-in:

coderabbit auth login

This step needs the user. It launches a browser sign-in — pause and let the developer finish it; don't try to drive the browser flow.

Verify (required to finish):

coderabbit auth status

Do not report this skill complete until coderabbit auth status confirms a signed-in session. If it reports not authenticated or errors, the setup is not done — re-run coderabbit auth login and check again. Loop until it confirms.

• coderabbit auth status shows you signed in

3. Install the Claude Code plugin

From inside Claude Code:

/plugin install coderabbit

Or from the command line:

claude plugin install coderabbit

The plugin auto-verifies the CLI install and auth on first use.

4. Verify the integration

In Claude Code, run:

/coderabbit:review

• /coderabbit:review runs a review without complaining about CLI/auth

Usage cheatsheet (once set up)

Slash command (in Claude Code):

/coderabbit:review                 # all changes
/coderabbit:review committed       # committed changes only
/coderabbit:review uncommitted     # uncommitted changes only
/coderabbit:review --base main     # against a specific branch

Direct CLI output modes:

coderabbit --agent         # structured JSON (for agents)
coderabbit --plain         # human-readable terminal output
coderabbit --interactive   # terminal UI for manual review

Natural-language triggers also work inside Claude Code ("review my code", "check for security issues"). For the day-to-day review workflow, see the code-review skill.