Customize Code Review changedcode-review-customize
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### Include other files in REVIEW\.md
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8888
8989Keep `REVIEW.md` to instructions that change review behavior, and leave general project context in `CLAUDE.md`.
9090
91### Include other files in REVIEW\.md
92
93You can split review instructions across several files and pull them into your root `REVIEW.md`. Use this when `REVIEW.md` grows long or when you already keep review rules in another file.
94
95To include a file, add a line to the root `REVIEW.md` with only `@` and the file name on it. Code Review puts the file's contents in place of that line, so they apply as part of `REVIEW.md`. In this example, the root file gives one instruction of its own and then includes two rule files:
96
97```markdown theme={null}
98# Review instructions
99
100Report at most five Nits per review.
101
102@review-security.md
103@review-api.md
104```
105
106Save the included files at the repository root, beside `REVIEW.md`:
107
108```text theme={null}
109your-repo/
110├── REVIEW.md
111├── review-security.md
112└── review-api.md
113```
114
115Code Review includes the files when it reads `REVIEW.md` from a protected branch, so check [which branch a review reads for your repository](#what-a-review-reads-for-each-branch-setup):
116
117* **Protected branch**: Code Review puts the included file in place of its `@` line
118* **Unprotected default branch**: the `@` line stays in `REVIEW.md` as plain text. If the pull request changes the file the line names, the line is left out.
119
120When a review doesn't apply an included file, check each of these:
121
122* **Location**: move the file to the repository root. A path into a subdirectory such as `@docs/review-rules.md` isn't included.
123* **Name**: match the file name exactly, including case, and use a name without spaces. A line whose name matches no file beside `REVIEW.md` stays in `REVIEW.md` as plain text, and the check run doesn't report it as a skipped include.
124* **One level**: list every file in the root `REVIEW.md`. An `@` line in an included file or in a subdirectory `REVIEW.md` stays as plain text, and a Markdown link to another file isn't an include.
125* **Limits**: include at most eight different files, and keep `REVIEW.md` and the files it includes under 150,000 bytes combined. A file that would reach the byte limit is skipped whole, not cut short. The check run reports how many include lines it skipped for either limit.
126* **Links**: keep Markdown links at 64 or fewer across `REVIEW.md` and the files it includes. Links to `http`, `https`, or `mailto` addresses and to `#` anchors don't count. Past that limit, the review skips your whole root `REVIEW.md`, not only the included files. The check run then [says the instructions weren't applied](/docs/en/code-review-troubleshooting#the-check-run-mentions-review-md).
127* **Merged copy**: merge the included file into the [branch `REVIEW.md` is read from](#which-branch-review-md-is-read-from). The review reads both from the same commit, never from the pull request's own changes.
128
91129### Which branch REVIEW\.md is read from
92130
93131Code Review reads `REVIEW.md` from the pull request's base branch or from the default branch, never from the pull request's own changes. To change review behavior, merge the `REVIEW.md` change first.
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113151
114152| Branch protection | Copy read | Files read |
115153| :- | :- | :- |
116| The default branch is protected, and the pull request targets it or targets a branch no ruleset protects | Default branch | Root and subdirectory files |
117| The pull request targets another branch that a ruleset protects | That base branch | Root and subdirectory files |
154| The default branch is protected, and the pull request targets it or targets a branch no ruleset protects | Default branch | Root file, the files it includes, and subdirectory files |
155| The pull request targets another branch that a ruleset protects | That base branch | Root file, the files it includes, and subdirectory files |
118156| The default branch isn't protected, and the base branch has no protection rule of either kind | Default branch | Root file |
119157| Code Review can't confirm the protection settings. This includes an unprotected default branch with a base branch that has only a classic rule | None | None |
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