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GitHub Integration Guide

Learn how to interact with Claude through GitHub issues and pull requests.

Overview

Open Reviewer provides three ways to trigger Claude for automated code review and issue assistance:

  1. Automatic PR Reviews - Claude automatically reviews all pull requests
  2. @claude Comments - Mention @claude in any PR or issue comment
  3. Issue Labels - Add the claude label to an issue for Claude to work on it

Automatic PR Reviews

Claude automatically reviews all pull requests when the GitHub Action is properly configured. No manual trigger required.

What happens: - Claude analyzes changed files in the PR - Provides feedback on code quality, security, and best practices - Posts review comments directly on the PR - Uses repository-specific guidelines from CLAUDE.md files

Setup: See Deploy GitHub Actions for configuration details.

@claude Comments

Mention @claude in any pull request or issue comment to get Claude's assistance.

In Pull Requests

Use @claude to ask specific questions about the code changes:

@claude can you review the security implications of this authentication change?

@claude please suggest performance optimizations for the database queries in this PR

@claude what are the potential edge cases I should test for this new feature?

In Issues

Use @claude to get help with issue resolution:

@claude please implement the feature described in this issue

@claude can you investigate this bug and suggest a fix?

@claude help me understand the root cause of this performance issue

Best Practices for @claude Comments

Be specific: Provide clear, actionable requests - ✅ "@claude review the SQL injection vulnerability in user.py:45" - ❌ "@claude look at this"

Include context: Reference specific files, functions, or line numbers - ✅ "@claude optimize the process_data() function for better memory usage" - ✅ "@claude check lines 120-150 in auth.py for potential race conditions"

Ask focused questions: One clear task per comment - ✅ "@claude add input validation to the login endpoint" - ❌ "@claude fix everything and add tests and documentation"

Use for implementation: Claude can write code changes - ✅ "@claude implement error handling for the API client" - ✅ "@claude add unit tests for the new validation logic"

Issue Labels

Add the claude label to any issue to have Claude work on it automatically.

What happens: 1. Claude reads the issue description and requirements 2. Analyzes the codebase to understand the context 3. Implements the requested changes 4. Creates a pull request with the solution

Example workflow: 1. Create an issue describing a bug or feature request 2. Add the claude label to the issue 3. Claude automatically starts working on it 4. Claude creates a PR with the implementation 5. Review and merge the PR when satisfied

Issue Label Best Practices

Write clear issue descriptions: 

## Bug Report
The login form doesn't validate email formats properly.

## Steps to Reproduce
1. Enter "invalid-email" in the email field
2. Click submit
3. Form accepts invalid input

## Expected Behavior
Email validation should reject malformed addresses

Include acceptance criteria: 

## Acceptance Criteria
- [ ] Email validation rejects invalid formats
- [ ] Error message shows clear feedback
- [ ] Valid emails are accepted
- [ ] Tests cover edge cases

Specify technical requirements: 

## Technical Notes
- Use the existing validation library in `src/utils/validators.ts`
- Follow the error handling patterns in other form components
- Add unit tests to `tests/components/`

Response Format

Claude will respond through GitHub comments with:

  • Progress updates - Real-time todo lists showing work in progress
  • Implementation details - Explanations of changes made
  • Pull request links - When code changes are implemented
  • Review feedback - Specific suggestions with file/line references

Configuration

Repository Setup

Create a CLAUDE.md file in your repository root with guidelines:

# Code Review Guidelines

## Style
- Use TypeScript for new files
- Follow existing naming conventions
- Maximum function length: 50 lines

## Security
- Validate all user input
- Use parameterized queries
- No hardcoded secrets

GitHub Action Configuration

Ensure your .github/workflows/ includes the Claude action with appropriate triggers:

on:
  pull_request:
  issue_comment:
    types: [created]
  issues:
    types: [labeled]

jobs:
  claude:
    if: |
      github.event_name == 'pull_request' ||
      contains(github.event.comment.body, '@claude') ||
      contains(github.event.label.name, 'claude')

Limitations

  • Claude cannot approve pull requests (security restriction)
  • Cannot modify workflow files in .github/workflows/
  • Works best with clear, specific instructions
  • Large codebases may require focused requests

Examples

Code Review Request

@claude please review this authentication middleware for security vulnerabilities:

Specifically check for:
- Session handling
- Input validation
- Authorization bypass

Bug Fix Request

@claude there's a memory leak in the image processing pipeline.

The issue appears in `src/processors/image.ts` around line 87 where we're not properly cleaning up canvas contexts.

Feature Implementation

@claude implement dark mode support:

Requirements:
- Toggle in user settings
- Persist preference in localStorage
- Apply to all UI components
- Smooth transitions between themes

Troubleshooting

Claude not responding? - Check the Actions tab for workflow errors - Verify API keys are configured in repository secrets - Ensure proper permissions are set (pull-requests: write)

Responses are too generic? - Add more specific context in your request - Reference exact files and line numbers - Include relevant technical details

Claude missed important context? - Update your CLAUDE.md with project-specific guidelines - Provide more detailed issue descriptions - Break complex requests into smaller, focused tasks

Getting Started

  1. Set up the GitHub Action following the deployment guide
  2. Create a CLAUDE.md file with your project guidelines
  3. Try a simple @claude comment on an existing PR
  4. Create a test issue with the claude label
  5. Review the results and refine your approach

Ready to get started? Deploy GitHub Actions →