Maintain CodeRabbit configuration for your entire organization in one dedicated repository. Create a coderabbit repository in your organization and add your .coderabbit.yaml file - CodeRabbit automatically applies these settings to any repository that doesn’t have its own configuration.

Organization-wide consistency

Single source of truth for code review standards across all repositories

Simplified management

Update settings once instead of modifying each repository individually

Configuration hierarchy

Repository configs override central configs, which override organization defaults - giving you flexibility when needed

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How configuration resolution works

CodeRabbit checks for configuration in this priority order:
PrioritySourceLocation
1 (Highest)Repository file.coderabbit.yaml in the repository
2Central repository.coderabbit.yaml in coderabbit repository
3Repository settingsCodeRabbit UI - Repository Settings
4Organization settingsCodeRabbit UI - Organization Settings
5 (Lowest)Default settingsCodeRabbit schema defaults
The configuration source appears in the CodeRabbit comment on the pull request:
  • Repository file: Path: .coderabbit.yaml
  • Central repository: Repository: coderabbit/.coderabbit.yaml
  • UI settings: CodeRabbit UI

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Setup

Critical requirement: You must install CodeRabbit on the central coderabbit repository. CodeRabbit needs access to read the configuration file.
1

Create the central repository

Create a repository named coderabbit in your organization. The location depends on your platform:
  • GitHub: organization/coderabbit
  • GitLab: group/coderabbit (or group/subgroup/coderabbit for nested groups)
  • Azure DevOps: project/coderabbit
  • Bitbucket Cloud: workspace/coderabbit
2

Add your configuration

Create a .coderabbit.yaml file in the repository root with your organization’s settings:
# Example central configuration
reviews:
  profile: chill
  request_changes_workflow: true
  high_level_summary: true
  poem: false
  review_status: true
  collapse_empty_files: true
  auto_review:
    enabled: true
    drafts: false

chat:
  auto_reply: false

knowledge_base:
  learnings:
    enabled: true
  opt_out: false
3

Install CodeRabbit

Install CodeRabbit on the central coderabbit repository through your platform’s installation process.
4

Verify configuration

Check a repository that doesn’t have its own .coderabbit.yaml file. The configuration source should show Repository: coderabbit/.coderabbit.yaml in the CodeRabbit UI.

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GitLab hierarchical configuration

GitLab supports team-specific configurations through its nested group structure. CodeRabbit automatically finds the closest coderabbit repository in your group hierarchy, allowing different teams to have their own settings while maintaining organization-wide defaults. Configuration inheritance example:
Project pathConfiguration used
company/team-a/subteam/project1company/team-a/subteam/coderabbit
company/team-a/project2company/team-a/coderabbit
company/team-b/project3company/coderabbit
This enables team-specific configurations with automatic fallback to parent group settings.

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Platform limitations

  • Azure DevOps: Each project requires its own coderabbit repository - no cross-project configuration sharing
  • Bitbucket Server: Central configuration not yet implemented - use individual repository settings

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Repository overrides

Individual repositories can override central configuration by adding their own .coderabbit.yaml file. This allows repository-specific customization while maintaining organization-wide defaults. 
# Repository-specific override
reviews:
  profile: assertive  # Override central "chill" profile
  auto_review:
    enabled: false    # Disable auto-review for this repository
  
# Inherits all other settings from central configuration
When a repository has its own configuration file, CodeRabbit uses that instead of the central configuration. Repository settings take precedence over central settings.