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Review effort mode controls the depth of AI code review. By default, it is set to Auto, which dynamically matches review depth to the risk of each change. You can switch to Balanced to apply a standard level of analysis to every review, or choose another fixed mode to apply the same level of analysis to every review in the repository. Review effort mode helps you:
  • Apply the optimal review mode for each code change.
  • Reduce review time for incremental changes where deeper analysis is not needed.
  • Give repository owners the flexibility to choose the appropriate review effort for each repository based on its importance.

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How Review effort mode is applied

Before starting a full code review, Review effort mode performs a fast analysis of the changes. It goes beyond the size of the diff, evaluating the potential impact of the changes, including factors such as:
  • The type of code being modified.
  • The potential impact of introducing a defect.
  • The complexity of the change.
  • The level of reasoning required to identify potential issues.
For example:
  • A large block of generated code may present a low risk of introducing defects.
  • A single-line change to billing logic may have a high impact if incorrect.
Based on this analysis, Review effort mode determines the optimal level of AI scrutiny required for the review.

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Review effort modes

Review effort mode routes each review into one of these review modes:

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How review effort is selected

When Auto cannot confidently determine the appropriate review depth, it prioritizes safety. Rather than selecting a lower-effort review, it routes the review to a higher review depth to ensure that potentially important changes receive sufficient analysis.

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Review effort examples

Review effort mode evaluates each code change and selects the most appropriate review effort based on the potential impact of the change. The following examples show how different types of changes can be routed to different review modes.

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Documentation update

A developer updates a documentation file to correct a spelling mistake. Since the change has minimal impact, Review effort mode routes the review to the Fast mode, providing a fast and cost-efficient review.

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Billing logic refactor

A developer modifies billing logic that could affect financial calculations. Even if the change contains only a small number of lines, Review effort mode identifies the potential impact and routes the review to the Deep mode. Multiple review agents analyze the changes to provide deeper coverage. Instead, they are promoted to at least the Auto mode to ensure that potentially important changes receive sufficient analysis.

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Configure Review effort mode

By default, Auto is enabled with the full effort range, dynamically routing each review to Fast, Balanced, or Deep based on risk. Drag the range handle to cap the highest effort Auto may use, or move it all the way down to Fast to apply that level of analysis to every review in the repository.
  1. Log in to the Qodo portal.
  2. Navigate to Configurations > Workflow > Review effort mode. Review effort mode
  3. Drag the handle on the Fast → Balanced → Deep slider to set the highest review effort Auto may use for this repository. Fast is always included as the lower bound; the handle sets the upper bound:
    • Leaving the handle at Deep (the default) allows Auto to choose Fast, Balanced, or Deep for each review.
    • Moving the handle to Balanced restricts Auto to Fast or Balanced only.
    • Moving the handle to Fast forces every review in the repository to use Fast.
  4. Click Save changes.

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Configure Review effort mode in .pr_agent.toml

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Set a review effort range

The portal’s range handle corresponds to a review_effort_range value, with a lower and upper bound of fast, balanced, or deep. The lower bound is always fast; the upper bound is whichever effort the handle is set to. This range determines which efforts Auto may choose from — a lower cap never runs a review above the configured upper bound.

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Customize Auto review

Use custom instructions to help Auto determine the appropriate review depth based on the changes being reviewed.
  1. Log in to the Qodo portal.
  2. Navigate to Configurations > Prompts > Review effort mode.
  3. Add free-text instructions to guide how Qodo reviews code for the repository.
  4. Save your changes.
The configured instructions are applied whenever Qodo reviews code in the selected repository, providing flexibility to optimize review effort based on each repository’s needs. For more information, see Configure extra instructions.