How to create custom code review rules

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Creating a rule in Kodus

1. Pick Global (or a repository / directory) in the scope picker at the top of the Code review group in the sidebar, then open Kody Rules
2. Click New rule
3. Configure:
   • Rule name — what the rule checks (e.g., “Service files must have tests”)
   • Execution mode — Per file (analyzes each changed file) or Per PR (analyzes the entire PR)
   • Path — glob pattern to target specific files (e.g., src/services/**/*.ts); not used by Per PR rules
   • Severity — Critical, High, Medium, or Low
   • Instructions — detailed description of what to check

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What makes rules powerful

• Variables like fileDiff, pr_title, pr_description, pr_files_diff
• File references with @file:path/to/file.ts to compare against patterns
• MCP functions to fetch data from connected tools (Jira, repository structure, etc.)

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Example: Architecture boundary rule

Name: Domain layer must not depend on infrastructure
Execution mode: Per PR
Instructions: Check pr_files_diff for any import in src/domain/
that references src/infrastructure/. Reference
@file:docs/architecture.md for allowed dependencies.

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Example: Test coverage rule

Name: Every service must have a test file
Execution mode: Per PR
Instructions: For each file modified in src/services/,
verify a corresponding test file exists in test/services/.
Use MCP to check the repository file tree.

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More ways to add rules

• Import from Rules Library — click Discovery on the Kody Rules page to browse proven rules by language and category
• Sync from IDE tools — auto-import rules from Cursor, Copilot, Claude
• Repository rules — define rules in markdown files in your repo
• Auto-generation — Kody suggests rules based on your review history