Kilo Review mode embeds the same analysis engine that powers Kilo’s GitHub Code Reviewer directly into the IDE, enabling reviews on the code that sits in the editor—before commits, pushes, or PRs. The feature brings pre-commit, in-editor static analysis and guidance to VS Code users, offering structured feedback across security, performance, correctness, style, and more.
Two stages, same engine
Kilo maintains two complementary review touchpoints. The existing GitHub integration runs automatically on pull requests and follows changes as new commits arrive. Review mode applies the same analysis engine earlier in the workflow, operating on uncommitted files and local edits. This keeps the depth and model-selection flexibility familiar across both stages while shifting some of the catch-and-fix work left of the commit.
When Review mode is useful
- Mid-build gut checks. Run a review on work-in-progress to validate approach and spot obvious issues before substantial refactors are required.
- Pre-push pre-flight. Treat the editor review as a checklist to catch errors that would otherwise become PR comments.
- Local experiments and spikes. Reviews do not require a PR or even a commit—useful for prototypes and private drafts.
- Private feedback. Early drafts or unfamiliar code can be checked without broadcasting concerns to the broader team.
- Pre-approval verification. Inspect a teammate’s branch locally before signing off to surface things that could be missed in a quick pass.
- Onboarding and learning. Review mode highlights project-specific patterns, idioms, and gaps in tests or documentation to accelerate ramp-up.
What it analyzes
Review mode produces structured feedback with explanations, not just a list of warnings. The analysis covers:
- Security vulnerabilities
- Performance issues
- Bugs and logic errors
- Error handling gaps
- Style and convention violations
- Test coverage and documentation gaps
- Maintainability and code smells
Because the feedback appears in the editor, acting on suggestions is immediate and integrates naturally with development flow.
Model selection and cost
Review mode offers the same model selection used elsewhere in Kilo’s agent modes, letting teams pick lighter, faster models for routine checks or heavier models for deeper reasoning. For a limited time, MiniMax M2.1 and GLM 4.7 are available free for most reviews, with options to upgrade when additional depth is required.
Availability
Review mode is available now in VS Code. Developers can access it by updating the Kilo extension to the latest version and selecting Review from the mode selector alongside Code, Ask, Debug, Architect, and Orchestrator. Additional information and the hosted Code Reviewer are available at Kilo’s pages: the in-editor feature documentation is at https://kilo.ai/docs/automate/code-reviews and the web Code Reviewer overview at https://kilo.ai/code-reviewer. Full setup guidance for VS Code appears on the Kilo get-started page: https://app.kilo.ai/get-started.
Original source: https://blog.kilo.ai/p/introducing-local-code-reviews-one