Jump‑start Code Reviewer customisation with auto‑generated instructions

[#1]

What was released

When Code Reviewer runs on a repo for the first time and finds no customisation insturctions, it automatically raises a one-time PR with a generated `.review-agent.md`. It will be pre-filled with your repo's own coding standards and good patterns.

Teams can review and merge it to put those standards to work immediately, edit it to make it your own, or close it if it's not for you. Either way, you now know the feature exists and how to use it.

Why we built it

Customisation is one of Code Reviewer's most impactful features — repositories with a `.review-agent.md` file get reviews that are more relevant, more consistent, and more likely to drive meaningful code improvements.

But adopting it hasn't been easy enough for our users.

Two things were holding teams back:

1. Many users simply didn't know customisation existed.

2. Those who did found it hard to get started: crafting good repo-level instructions takes time and effort, and it's difficult to see the payoff before you've seen it work.

This feature removes both blockers by doing the hard part automatically, on day one.

How it works

On the next Code Reviewer run for a repository that has no customisation file, Code Reviewer analyses the codebase and generates a pre-filled `.review-agent.md file` — capturing the repo's existing coding standards and common patterns to adhere to.

It then raises a single PR to the repository containing this generated file, along with:

• Clear messaging explaining what the PR is and why it was created

• Guidance on how to review, edit, and make it your own

• Links to documentation for further customisation

This runs exactly once per repository. It will not re-trigger on subsequent Code Reviewer runs to avoid being noisy. The PR author and the repo's default reviewers are tagged so it doesn't get overlooked.

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What to do after the PR is raised

If you…	What to do
Like what you see	Merge it. Reviewer will immediately start using those instructions in all future reviews on that repository. You can always refine the file later as your team's standards evolve.
Want to adjust it first	Edit before merging. The file is plain markdown — adjust, remove, or rewrite any section. Think of it as a first draft to get you started, not a final answer.
Don't want it	Close the PR. No harm done. You can always create your own `.review-agent.md` manually at any time, and the extractor will not re-run. (Now at least you can use the generated instruction as a helpful reference to get started)

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Frequently asked questions

How are these auto-PRs charged? Whose allowance is consumed?

They are free. The cost of generating this instruction is on us, your credits don't get consumed.

We want to make sure every team using Code Reviewer understands the features we provide and are empowered to use them effectively.

Can a team opt out of this feature for a specific repo?

There is no per-repo opt-out setting exposed in the product today. If the generated PR is unwanted, simply close it; the extractor will not re-trigger. 

Is this available on GitHub?

Not yet, but soon. This feature currently runs on Bitbucket Cloud only. GitHub support is coming.

Where can I learn more about customisation and how to get the most out of it?

Here's our support documentation. 
You can also follow this post to learn the shortcuts to creating, testing, and tweaking custom review instructions right from your own machine with Rovo Dev CLI.