Pair Review

Review local changes with Claude, right where you read the code.
Leave a comment in VS Code. Ask a question or request a change.
Claude receives it automatically and replies in the same inline conversation.

Download · Installation guide · Full guide · Issues

Why

Reviewing an agent's changes often means copying code into a terminal, explaining which lines you mean, and finding the answer again later. A GitHub draft review keeps the context together, but takes you out of the local editing loop.

Pair Review brings that conversation into the editor: feedback attached to a line, delivered to Claude, with the answer returned to the same thread. Keep reading the diff while the agent works. Resolve the thread when you are satisfied.

_{Staged demo with simulated responses and the optional side composer. The default input uses native inline comments.}

Features


💬 Review at the line	Native inline comments in local files and diffs, with captured code context attached to each submitted comment.
⚡ Automatic delivery	Send feedback once; your connected Claude conversation receives it without a separate review submission.
🎛️ Ask, implement, summarize	Use `/a` to discuss, `/i` to request a change, and `/r` to summarize the thread.
🎨 Readable code	Padded code cards, syntax colors and a small editor icon for opening the source with native navigation.
📌 Keep your draft	An optional compact side composer follows new selections while empty and keeps written feedback attached to its original code.
✅ You resolve it	Claude reports progress and replies. You decide when a thread is done; completed threads can be reopened.
🔁 Choose your conversation	Search saved conversations by name or branch, start a new one, or connect the conversation already running in your terminal.
🧭 Guided PR review	Claude groups a PR's changes by severity, orders them for reading and explains each step. Every change lands in one step, so ticking Viewed on each step covers the whole PR. The Pull Requests sidebar lists the steps under the PR; click one to jump to it.
📋 Pull Requests sidebar	Lists your PRs and your review requests, including those sent to your teams, per repository, with a collapsed All open group for every open PR. Your PRs waiting on reviewers show a yellow eye and Awaiting review; review requests say Direct or via the team. Show only my PRs awaiting review in the view's … menu filters Mine. Copy Link on a PR's context menu copies its GitHub link. Pair Review: Open PR in Pair Review opens the review page from a pasted PR link or `owner/repo#57`, in the workspace folder that holds that repository.
🐙 The whole GitHub PR	The review page covers GitHub's PR tabs: conversation with comments, reviews, reactions, edits and events; commits with per-commit diffs and changes since your last review; file filters and hidden whitespace; check annotations and re-runs; and a merge box with branch protection, update branch, auto-merge, merge queue and revert.
🔗 Carry it into a PR	Preview summaries and unresolved questions, edit the text, then explicitly publish to the branch's existing GitHub PR.
🎙️ Speak your feedback	Use existing macOS Dictation in the comment field, without an extra recorder or transcription account.

The review loop

flowchart LR
    A["🔎 Read the local diff"] --> B["💬 Comment on a line"]
    B --> C{"Your intent"}
    C -->|"/a"| D["Discuss the code"]
    C -->|"/i"| E["Request a change"]
    C -->|"/r"| F["Summarize the thread"]
    D & E & F --> G["Claude replies inline"]
    G --> H["Review and continue"]
    H --> B
    H --> I["✓ Resolve when satisfied"]
    H -. "Separate action" .-> J["Preview → Publish to PR"]

Write	Result
`/a Why use a fixed delay here?`	Claude explains the decision in the thread.
`/i Add a timeout for each attempt.`	Claude implements the requested change and returns it for review.
`/r`	Claude summarizes the existing conversation and remaining decisions.

/a and /r request discussion without edits; they are not a separate permission sandbox. Claude's existing tool permissions still apply. /r never publishes anything to GitHub.

Install

Install the VS Code extension

Download a .vsix from GitHub Releases, then use Extensions → … → Install from VSIX…. The extension is not on the Marketplace yet.

Or install a downloaded package from your terminal:

code --install-extension ./pair-review-<version>.vsix --force

Connect Claude

Open a trusted local Git repository and run Pair Review: Mit Claude verbinden.

Choose	What happens
Unterhaltung auswählen	Search this project's recent conversations by name or branch. Running conversations are marked Läuft.
Neue Unterhaltung	Start a fresh Claude conversation with review feedback enabled.
Laufende Unterhaltung verbinden	Keep your original Claude process and conversation. Copy the two commands shown in VS Code into that conversation.

To connect a running conversation, execute /reload-plugins --force, then /pair-review:connect inside it. This requires Claude Code 2.1.280+ and installs a project-local plugin; reloading rereads the conversation context once. Wait for Feedback aktiv before sending a comment.

For a separate terminal app, the same running-conversation commands apply. To start or resume there instead, use Review → … → Verbindungsbefehl kopieren at its shell prompt. Keep the project's VS Code window open. Connection details →

Leave your first comment

Open Pair Review: Änderungen reviewen, click the gutter +, or select code and press ⌘⌥M on macOS / Ctrl+Alt+M on Linux. Write /a or /i followed by your feedback and choose Senden. Continue in the thread's reply field.

Requires VS Code 1.100+, Node.js 20+, Git, and authenticated Claude Code with asyncRewake support. macOS is the verified primary platform; Linux is unverified, and automatic Windows connection is not supported yet. Setup and troubleshooting →

How it works

sequenceDiagram
    actor You
    participant VS as VS Code
    participant Local as Pair Review bridge
    participant Claude as Your Claude conversation
    You->>VS: Send a comment at the code
    VS->>Local: Save feedback and immutable code context
    Local-->>Claude: Wake with the submitted feedback
    Claude->>Local: Acknowledge the event
    Claude->>Claude: Answer or implement according to /a, /i or /r
    Claude->>Local: Reply to the original thread
    Local-->>VS: Show the reply and progress
    You->>VS: Continue the discussion or resolve ✓

A small local helper waits for saved feedback; the LLM does not repeatedly check for comments. Claude answers through review tools, which return the reply to VS Code. A connection or notification alone does not acknowledge delivery.

Threads and private connection files live in VS Code's workspace storage. The launched-session flow passes settings to Claude without replacing your existing project configuration. Running-conversation setup uses Claude's plugin manager with local scope and preserves existing settings. Only the explicitly selected conversation can receive feedback through that plugin. Architecture and walkthrough →

Make it yours

Action / setting	Effect
Kommentarfenster hervorheben	Apply a distinct thread surface, reply fill and neutral border in this project. The paired reset action restores prior colors. VS Code shares these tokens with other comments and Peek views.
Zentrierte Ansicht	Narrow the source editor and its inline conversations together. VS Code controls native comment width.
Feedback in Seitenansicht schreiben	Open the optional compact composer with mode buttons, saved drafts and selection following.
`pairReview.claudePath`	Choose your Claude executable when multiple installations exist.
`pairReview.nodePath`	Choose the Node.js 20+ executable used by the integration.
`pairReview.transport`	`hooks` is the default. `channels` is an experimental alternative with additional prerequisites.

The interface currently uses German labels. Code previews provide display colors; use the editor icon for hover, references and language-server navigation. Full usage guide →

Roadmap and verification

[x] Native inline questions, change requests and thread summaries
[x] Automatic feedback delivery and replies to the original thread
[x] Specific saved conversation or new conversation
[x] Human resolution, hidden completed threads and reopening
[x] Editable preview before publishing to an existing PR
[x] Connect to an already-running conversation without restarting it
[x] Unread reply navigation and direct Claude-to-thread navigation
[ ] VS Code Marketplace / Open VSX publication
[ ] Linux and Windows verification

Guide notes are stored as threads that start with Claude's message. Versions before guided review cannot load a PR's comments once it has a guide.

The running-conversation verification records an authenticated Claude session started before setup, unchanged process/session identity after connecting, and a real inline question and formatted reply. Strict TypeScript and 256 tests pass. Busy-agent delivery, a full separate-terminal roundtrip and real remote PR publication remain separate verification tasks. Earlier native review · Review tracker

Development

pair-review/
├── src/             VS Code UI, durable review store, bridge and Claude integration
├── test/            Controller, rendering and real-process transport tests
├── resources/       Extension icon and review avatars
└── docs/            Setup, architecture, demos, publishing and QA evidence

git clone https://github.com/kaiketsu-labs/pair-review.git
cd pair-review
npm ci --ignore-scripts
npm run typecheck
npm test
npm run package

The generated .vsix can be installed through VS Code. make install packages it and installs it in one step; make lists the other targets. Contributing · Publishing guide

Built on the VS Code Comments API, Claude hooks, and MCP. Not affiliated with Anthropic or Microsoft.

The PR management reliability review records partial-write recovery fixes, 364 passing automated tests, and the still-pending real GitHub and native VS Code verification.

Kaiketsu-Labs

Why