VS Code Extension
Review code before it leaves your machine. The CodePeel extension analyzes working changes, staged files, or full branch diffs and posts findings as inline editor comments with one-click fixes.
Install and Sign In
Step 1: Install from the Marketplace
- Open VS Code and press
Ctrl+Shift+X(macOS:Cmd+Shift+X) - Search for CodePeel
- Click Install
Step 2: Authenticate
- Click the CodePeel icon in the Activity Bar (left sidebar)
- Click Sign In in the sidebar panel
- Your browser opens — sign in with your CodePeel account
- Copy the authorization code shown in the browser
- Paste it into the VS Code input prompt
You need a CodePeel account first. Sign up free at codepeel.ai.
Run Your First Review
- Open a Git-tracked project with uncommitted changes
- Click the CodePeel icon in the Activity Bar
- In the sidebar, choose a review mode:
- Working changes — all changes on your branch (committed + uncommitted + staged)
- Staged changes — only
git add-ed files (pre-commit workflow) - Branch diff — prompts you for a target branch to diff against
- Click Review Changes (or press
Ctrl+Shift+R)
The sidebar shows progress: Setting up → Analyzing → Reviewing. When done, findings appear in three places:
- Inline comments on the affected lines in your editor
- Problems panel (
Ctrl+Shift+M) with severity-mapped diagnostics - FILES section in the CodePeel sidebar with per-file finding counts
Apply a Fix
Every fixable finding includes a suggested code block. You have multiple ways to apply it:
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| Inline comment | Click Apply Suggested Fix (✓ icon) on the comment thread |
| Fix with AI | Click Fix with AI (✨ icon) to send to your AI agent |
| Problems panel | Click the lightbulb (Quick Fix) on the diagnostic |
| Bulk action | Run CodePeel: Fix All Issues from the command palette |
After applying, the fix is written directly into your file. Review the change, then save.
Fix with AI sends the finding to your configured AI agent (Copilot, Claude Code, Cline, Roo, etc.) for an intelligent fix. Configure which agent via
codepeel.agentTypein settings.
Review Staged Changes (Pre-Commit Workflow)
- Stage your files:
git add .or stage individual files in the Source Control panel - Open the CodePeel sidebar
- Select Staged changes as the review mode
- Click Review Changes
This catches issues right before you commit — no need to push first.
Review a Branch Diff
- Open the CodePeel sidebar
- Select Branch diff as the review mode
- Enter the target branch when prompted (default:
main) - Click Review Changes
To change the default target branch, update codepeel.targetBranch in your settings.
Context Menu Actions
Select any block of code in the editor, right-click, and open the CodePeel AI submenu:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Explain Selection | AI-powered explanation of what the selected code does |
| Fix Selection | Identifies bugs in the selection and generates fixes |
| Refactor Selection | Suggests cleanup, optimization, or modernization |
| Generate Tests | Creates test cases for the selected code |
| Ask AI | Ask a free-form question about the selected code |
You can also right-click anywhere (without selection) to access Review This File — runs a focused review on only the active file.
Settings Reference
Configure via File → Preferences → Settings and search "CodePeel", or edit settings.json directly:
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
codepeel.targetBranch | "main" | Branch to diff against in branch mode |
codepeel.autoReviewMode | "prompt" | After file changes: prompt (ask), automatic (auto-run), disabled |
codepeel.showInlineComments | true | Show findings as inline editor comments |
codepeel.agentType | "native" | AI agent for "Fix with AI" — see options below |
codepeel.autoStartTask | true | Auto-start task for AI agents (vs. manual confirm) |
Agent types for "Fix with AI"
The codepeel.agentType setting controls where "Fix with AI" sends the fix prompt:
| Value | Agent |
|---|---|
native | VS Code Copilot or Cursor AI |
claude-code | Claude Code (terminal) |
claude-code-extension | Claude Code VS Code extension |
cline | Cline extension |
roo | Roo Code extension |
kilo-code | Kilo Code extension |
augment | Augment Code extension |
codex | Codex CLI (terminal) |
opencode | opencode CLI (terminal) |
clipboard | Copies fix prompt to clipboard |
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Review all changes | Ctrl+Shift+R (macOS: Cmd+Shift+R) |
| Focus CodePeel sidebar | Ctrl+Shift+P → type "Focus on CodePeel View" |
Customize these in File → Preferences → Keyboard Shortcuts.
Troubleshooting
"No Git repository found"
The extension needs Git to detect changes. Make sure your folder is a Git repo with at least one commit:
git init && git commit --allow-empty -m "init"
"Authentication failed"
Your session may have expired. Fix it:
- Click Sign Out at the bottom of the CodePeel sidebar
- Restart VS Code
- Click Sign In again
"Rate limit exceeded"
You've hit the hourly review cap for your plan. See rate limits for details.
Wait for the cooldown or upgrade your plan.
Findings not appearing
- Check that
codepeel.showInlineCommentsistruein settings - Ensure the file is part of the Git diff (untracked files won't show findings)
- Open the Output panel → select CodePeel from the dropdown to see logs