This guide covers proven strategies for getting the most value from Greptile based on real-world team experiences. For a quick overview of capabilities, see the developer quick reference.

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Configuration Options You Should Know

Get started with the getting started guide if you haven’t set up Greptile yet.

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Dashboard Configuration

Learn more about all available settings in the key features guide.

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Adjust how many comments Greptile makes

The severity threshold is your primary tool for controlling how many comments Greptile makes:

Low Threshold

More comments, more detail
  • Comments on potential issues
  • Includes minor suggestions
  • Good for teams that value detailed feedback

Medium Threshold

Balanced approach (default)
  • Mix of minor and major issues
  • Filters out most nitpicks
  • Recommended starting point

High Threshold

Critical issues only
  • Fewer, high-impact comments
  • Focuses on bugs and security
  • Good for teams that find the bot too noisy
Start with medium threshold and adjust based on your team’s feedback. If you’re getting too much noise, increase it. If you want more detail, decrease it.

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Adjust what types of comments Greptile makes

You can control which types of issues Greptile comments on:
  • Syntax: Basic code structure and formatting
  • Logic: Potential bugs and logical issues
  • Style: Coding conventions and best practices
Many teams disable syntax comments if they already use a linter, letting Greptile focus on logic and style issues that automated tools miss.

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Help Greptile Learn About Your Codebase and Patterns

Learn more about how Greptile learns in the memory and learning guide.

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Effective Comment Interaction

1

React to Comments

Use 👍 for helpful comments and 👎 for unhelpful ones. This is the primary way Greptile learns your preferences.
2

Explain Your Feedback

When downvoting, reply explaining why: @greptileai Actually, we prefer list comprehensions because they're more readable
3

Ask Questions

Tag @greptileai to ask for clarification: @greptileai Can you explain why this is a security issue?
4

Be Consistent

Regular, consistent feedback across team members helps Greptile learn faster.

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Learning timeline

2-3 weeks of consistent feedback typically shows noticeable improvement in comment relevance and accuracy.
Early weeks may have more noise as Greptile learns your team’s preferences. The system gets better at:
  • Filtering suggestions to what your team values
  • Understanding your codebase context
  • Recognizing your team’s coding patterns

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What does Greptile learn from?

  • Your reactions to its comments
  • Other developers’ comments on PRs
  • Which suggestions get implemented vs ignored
  • Team discussions about code patterns

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Managing Custom Context

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Types of Custom Context

See the full custom context guide for detailed instructions.

Rules

Team Preferences
  • Enforce coding standards
  • Specify preferred patterns
  • Set architectural guidelines

Files

Documentation
  • Style guides
  • Architecture docs
  • API standards

Other

Additional Info
  • Project context
  • Domain knowledge
  • Special requirements

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Effective Context Rules

"Use async/await instead of Promise chains for better readability"

"All API endpoints must validate input parameters"

"Prefer functional components over class components in React"

"Database queries should use prepared statements"

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Context File Best Practices

Point Greptile to your existing documentation:
  • Style guides: Language-specific coding standards
  • Architecture docs: System design and patterns
  • Security policies: Compliance and security requirements
  • API standards: Consistent API design patterns
  • Testing strategies: How your team approaches testing
Review learned rules regularly. Greptile automatically creates rules based on team comments, but you should verify they align with your actual preferences.

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Advanced Configuration

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Repository-Level Settings

Use greptile.json in your repository root for per-repo configuration. Learn more in the greptile.json guide: 
{
  "strictness": 2,
  "commentTypes": ["logic", "style"],
  "patternsRepo": ["org/frontend-repo"],
  "customInstructions": "Focus on security and performance",
  "scope": {
    "include": ["src/**"],
    "exclude": ["tests/**", "docs/**"]
  }
}

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Analytics Monitoring

Track these key metrics in your dashboard:
  • Average time to merge: Are reviews helping or slowing down merges?
  • Comment engagement: High upvote rates indicate valuable feedback
  • Addressed comments per MR: Shows team adoption and value

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Integration Optimization

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Team Adoption Strategies

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For New Teams

1

Start Conservative

Begin with high severity threshold to build confidence with fewer, high-quality comments.
2

Encourage Engagement

Train team members on upvoting/downvoting and asking questions.
3

Iterate Based on Feedback

Adjust settings weekly based on team feedback and analytics.
4

Add Context Gradually

Start with key style guides, then add more context as the team sees value.

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Getting Support

Documentation

Use the docs assistant for specific questions about configuration and usage.

Community Support

Join team-specific Slack channels for real-time help and best practice sharing.

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Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Don’t ignore the learning period. Greptile needs 2-3 weeks of consistent feedback to understand your team’s preferences.
Don’t set severity too low initially. Start conservative and lower the threshold once the team is comfortable with the feedback quality.
Don’t forget to scope custom rules. Broad rules applied everywhere can create noise in inappropriate contexts.
Remember: Greptile learns continuously. Regular engagement and feedback make it more valuable over time.

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Troubleshooting & FAQ

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Common Issues

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Getting Help

Team Slack Channel

Join your organization’s dedicated Greptile Slack channel for real-time support and team discussions.

Documentation Assistant

Use the docs assistant (star icon) for specific configuration questions and setup guidance.