Code Review for GitHub

Review Board adds powerful, workflow-flexible code review to GitHub repositories.

Why teams use Review Board with GitHub

• Stacked changes. Review Board can review any commit or ranges of commits, even in the middle of a branch.
• Track every revision of a change. Interdiffs show exactly how the code evolves as you iterate on changes.
• Open issues, not just comments. Mark a comment as an issue, and it has to be resolved before the change can land.
• Review more than just code. Review requests can contain images, mockups, design documents, and more.
• Moved-code detection and smart indentation handling. Simple rearrangements don't drown reviewers in noise.
• Integrate with the rest of your stack. Review Board integrates with other best-of-breed tools to let you build your own SDLC workflow.
• Your code stays private. Review Board can self-host in your network, and your code is never used for AI training.

How it works

You add your repository to Review Board once. Developers then use RBTools, our command-line client, to post changes for review straight from their workspace without needing to create forks or push branches.

Review Board pulls the diff context from GitHub on demand, so reviewers see the full surrounding code, even on lines you didn't touch.

$ rbt post
Validating commits...
Uploading commits...

Review Request #2 posted.

https://reviewboard.example.com/r/2/
https://reviewboard.example.com/r/2/diff/

Made some changes to your code? Run it again with -u and Review Board adds a new revision while preserving the full discussion history.

$ rbt post -u
Validating commits...
Uploading commits...

Review Request #2 posted.

https://reviewboard.example.com/r/2/
https://reviewboard.example.com/r/2/diff/

When commits land on the server, Review Board can automatically close the matching review request. Just configure a WebHook on the GitHub side and tag your commit message with Reviewed at <url> or Review request #N. rbt land adds that line for you.

Github Pull Requests vs. Review Board

GitHub PRs are great at the basics. Review Board is built for teams who outgrow them.

Basic Workflow

1. Install Review Board or start an RBCommons trial
2. Add your GitHub repository
3. Use RBTools to post your code for review.
4. Get feedback from your team. As you iterate, post new versions of your change, and use interdiffs to see how the code evolves from revision to revision.
5. Once approved, land your work and push to GitHub.

Learn more about effective workflows for Review Board and Git.

Requirements

GitHub.com connectivity is included in all versions of Review Board. RBTools is recommended when doing pre-push/pre-merge review.

GitHub Enterprise requires Review Board Plus or Review Board Enterprise.

FAQ

Does this work with private GitHub repositories?
Yes. Authentication connects with a personal access token, allowing you to choose what access Review Board should have.

Does Review Board integrate with GitHub pull requests?
Not yet. Today the integration reviews changes separate from the PR workflow. Most teams who adopt Review Board use it as their primary review tool and post changes with RBTools before pusing. Pull request integration is planned for a future release.

Does Review Board support GitHub Issues?
Yes. When configuring the repository, check "Use hosting service's bug tracker" and any bug references will link to the right issues.

Can Review Board auto-close review requests when commits are pushed?
Yes. Configure an outgoing WebHook on your GitHub repository pointing at the URL Review Board generates, and tag your commit messages with Reviewed at <url> or Review request #N. rbt land will add this automatically when landing changes.

Will my source code be used for AI training?
No. See our AI ethics policy.