This guide explains how to set up the automated AI PR review system using OpenRouter to analyze pull requests with your choice of AI model.
Scanned 5/31/2026
Install via CLI
openskills install tools-only/X-Skills# AI Code Reviewer Setup Guide
This guide explains how to set up the automated AI PR review system using OpenRouter to analyze pull requests with your choice of AI model.
## Overview
The AI Code Reviewer provides automated, comprehensive code reviews covering:
- **Security** 🔒 - Hardcoded secrets, SQL injection, XSS, authentication issues, input validation
- **Performance** ⚡ - Inefficient algorithms, N+1 queries, memory issues, blocking operations
- **Code Quality** 🎨 - Readability, maintainability, error handling, naming conventions
- **Best Practices** 📋 - Coding standards, proper patterns, type safety, dead code
The review is posted as a single comprehensive comment on your pull request.
## Setup Instructions
### 1. Get OpenRouter API Key
1. Go to [OpenRouter.ai](https://openrouter.ai/)
2. Sign up or log in
3. Navigate to API Keys section
4. Create a new API key
5. Copy the key (it starts with `sk-or-v1-...`)
### 2. Add API Key to GitHub Secrets
1. Go to your GitHub repository
2. Navigate to **Settings** → **Secrets and variables** → **Actions**
3. Click **New repository secret**
4. Name it: `OPENROUTER_API_KEY`
5. Paste your OpenRouter API key
6. Click **Add secret**
### 3. Configure Workflow (Optional)
The workflow is pre-configured with sensible defaults, but you can customize it by editing `.github/workflows/ai-code-reviewer.yml`:
- **AI_MODEL**: Change the AI model (see [OpenRouter models](https://openrouter.ai/models))
- **AI_TEMPERATURE**: Adjust randomness (default: `0.1` for consistent reviews)
- **AI_MAX_TOKENS**: Maximum response length (default: `2000`)
- **MAX_DIFF_SIZE**: Maximum diff size in bytes (default: `800000` / 800KB)
## Usage
### Triggering AI Reviews
To trigger an AI review on a PR:
1. Go to the PR page
2. Click **Labels**
3. Add the label: `ai_code_review`
The review will automatically start and post results as a comment when complete.
### Re-running Reviews
To re-run the AI review after making changes:
1. Remove the `ai_code_review` label
2. Add the `ai_code_review` label again
This will generate a fresh review of the current PR state.
## Review Results
The AI posts a comprehensive comment analyzing your code across all focus areas. The review is meant to assist human reviewers, not replace them.
## Cost Estimation
Costs vary by model, but most code-focused models on OpenRouter are very affordable:
- Typical small PR (< 1000 lines): $0.001 - $0.01
- Large PR (1000-5000 lines): $0.01 - $0.05
Check [OpenRouter pricing](https://openrouter.ai/models) for specific model costs.
## Customization
### Changing the Review Focus
Edit `github/scripts/ai-reviewer.sh` to modify the review prompt. The current focus areas are:
- Security (secrets, injection attacks, authentication)
- Performance (algorithms, queries, memory)
- Code Quality (readability, maintainability, error handling)
- Best Practices (standards, patterns, type safety)
You can adjust these to match your team's priorities.
## Troubleshooting
### Reviews Not Running
- Ensure the `ai_code_review` label is added (not just present)
- Check that `OPENROUTER_API_KEY` secret is correctly configured
- Verify GitHub Actions permissions are properly set
### API Errors
- Check OpenRouter API key validity
- Verify OpenRouter account has sufficient credits
- Review GitHub Actions logs for specific error messages
### Diff Too Large Error
If you get a "Diff is too large" error:
- Split your PR into smaller, focused changes
- Or increase `MAX_DIFF_SIZE` in the workflow file
- Default limit is 800KB (~200K tokens)
## Security Considerations
- API keys are stored securely in GitHub Secrets and passed via environment variables
- Reviews only run when the `ai_code_review` label is manually added
- All API calls are made through secure HTTPS connections
- Code diffs are sent to OpenRouter/AI provider - review their data policies
- The workflow has minimal permissions (read contents, write PR comments)
## Support
For issues with:
- **OpenRouter API**: Check [OpenRouter documentation](https://openrouter.ai/docs)
- **GitHub Actions**: Check [GitHub Actions documentation](https://docs.github.com/en/actions)
- **Workflow issues**: Review the GitHub Actions logs for specific error details
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