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Guide: Building a code review bot

docs/src/content/en/guides/guide/code-review-bot.mdx

2025-12-186.5 KB
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import Steps from "@site/src/components/Steps"; import StepItem from "@site/src/components/StepItem";

Building a code review bot

In this guide, you'll build a code review bot that automatically reviews pull requests using workspace skills. The bot loads coding standards from skill files and provides structured feedback. You'll learn how to create a workspace with a skills directory, define an Agent Skill with review instructions and reference files, and connect it to an agent that performs automated reviews.

Prerequisites

  • Node.js v22.13.0 or later installed
  • An API key from a supported Model Provider
  • An existing Mastra project (Follow the installation guide to set up a new project)

Create the workspace

In your src/mastra/index.ts file, import the Workspace and LocalFilesystem classes. On the Workspace instance, configure the skills option to point to a skills directory. The skills directory will live inside the filesystem's basePath.

typescript
import { Mastra } from '@mastra/core'
// highlight-start
import { resolve } from 'node:path'
import { Workspace, LocalFilesystem } from '@mastra/core/workspace'
// highlight-end

// highlight-start
const workspace = new Workspace({
  filesystem: new LocalFilesystem({
    basePath: resolve(import.meta.dirname, '../../workspace'),
  }),
  skills: ['/skills'],
})
// highlight-end

export const mastra = new Mastra({
  // highlight-next-line
  workspace,
})

At the root of your project, create a new folder called workspace. Inside that, create a skills folder. This is where you'll define the code standards skill in the next step.

Create the code standards skill

Skills are structured directories containing a SKILL.md file with instructions for the agent. The code standards skill defines the review process and references a style guide.

Inside workspace/skills, create a new folder called code-standards. Create a file called SKILL.md and add the review instructions.

markdown
---
name: code-standards
description: Automated code review standards and checks
---

# Code Review Standards

Review code systematically using these steps:

1. **Critical Issues**: Security vulnerabilities, memory leaks, logic bugs, missing error handling
2. **Code Quality**: Functions over 50 lines, code duplication, confusing names, missing types
3. **Style Guide**: Check references/style-guide.md for naming and organization
4. **Linting**: Flag common issues like use of `var`, leftover `console.log` statements, and `debugger` statements

Provide feedback in this format:

**Summary**: One sentence overview

**Critical Issues**: List with line numbers

**Suggestions**: Improvements that would help

**Positive Notes**: What the code does well

Inside workspace/skills/code-standards, create a references folder to hold reference materials for the skill. Author a style guide file that outlines the project's coding conventions with the file name style-guide.md.

markdown
# Style Guide

## Naming

- Variables/Functions: `camelCase`
- Constants: `UPPER_SNAKE_CASE`
- Files: `kebab-case.ts`
- Booleans: Start with `is`, `has`, `should`

## Code organization

```typescript
// 1. Imports
import { foo } from 'bar'

// 2. Constants
const MAX_SIZE = 100

// 3. Types
interface User {
  id: string
}

// 4. Functions
function doSomething() {}

// 5. Exports
export { doSomething }
```

## Error handling

Always handle errors explicitly - never silently catch.

## Comments

Write "why" not "what".

Create the review agent

Now it's time to create the code review bot agent that uses the code-standards skill. Create a new file at src/mastra/agents/code-reviewer.ts and define the agent:

typescript
import { Agent } from '@mastra/core/agent'

export const codeReviewer = new Agent({
  id: 'code-reviewer',
  name: 'Code Review Bot',
  instructions: `You are an automated code reviewer.

When asked to review code:
1. Activate the 'code-standards' skill
2. Follow the review process from the skill
3. Check against the style guide in skill references
4. Be constructive and specific with line numbers`,
  model: 'openai/gpt-5.4',
})

Define the agent by importing it inside src/mastra/index.ts and registering it with the Mastra instance:

typescript
import { Mastra } from '@mastra/core'
import { resolve } from 'node:path'
import { Workspace, LocalFilesystem } from '@mastra/core/workspace'
// highlight-next-line
import { codeReviewer } from './agents/code-reviewer'

const workspace = new Workspace({
  filesystem: new LocalFilesystem({
    basePath: resolve(import.meta.dirname, '../../workspace'),
  }),
  skills: ['/skills'],
})

export const mastra = new Mastra({
  workspace,
  // highlight-next-line
  agents: { codeReviewer },
})

Test the bot

Start Mastra Studio and interact with the code review bot to see it in action.

bash
npm run dev

Open localhost:4111 and navigate to the code reviewer agent.

Inside the chat input, provide a code snippet for review, such as:

text
Review this code:

function getData(id) {
  var result = fetch('/api/data/' + id);
  console.log(result);
  return result;
}

The bot should activate the code-standards skill and provide structured feedback. Since agent responses are non-deterministic, your output may vary, but you should see something similar to:

md
**Summary**: Function has several issues with variable declaration,
debugging statements, and missing error handling.

**Critical Issues**:

- Missing error handling for fetch (line 2)
- No async/await for asynchronous operation (line 2)

**Suggestions**:

- Use const instead of var (line 2)
- Remove console.log before committing (line 3)
- Add TypeScript type for id parameter
- Use template literals instead of concatenation

**Positive Notes**:

- Function name is clear and descriptive

Next steps

You can extend this bot to:

  • Add skills for different languages or frameworks
  • Create skills for security checks and performance reviews
  • Integrate with GitHub Actions for automatic PR reviews
  • Build a PR comment bot that leaves inline feedback

Learn more: