Code Review for Forgejo

Forgejo is an open-source, self-hosted software forge stewarded by the nonprofit Codeberg e.V. It's designed to be lightweight, privacy-respecting, and easy to run on your own infrastructure — a great fit for teams who want a Git hosting service they fully control.

Review Board adds powerful, workflow-flexible code review to Forgejo repositories, whether you host on Codeberg or run your own Forgejo server.

Why teams use Review Board with Forgejo

• Stacked changes. Review any commit or range of commits, even in the middle of a larger branch.
• Track every revision of a change. Interdiffs show exactly how the code evolves as you iterate.
• Open issues, not just comments. Mark a comment as an issue, and it has to be resolved before the change can land.
• Review more than just code. Review requests can contain images, mockups, design documents, and more alongside your source.
• Moved-code detection and smart indentation handling. Simple rearrangements don't drown reviewers in noise.
• Stays self-hosted. Forgejo and Review Board both run inside your network. Your code never has to leave it.
• Your code stays private. Whether self-hosted or hosted on RBCommons, your code is never used for AI training.

How it works

You add your Forgejo repository to Review Board once. Developers then use RBTools, our command-line client, to post changes for review straight from their workspace without needing to push branches or open pull requests.

Review Board pulls the diff context from Forgejo on demand, so reviewers see the full surrounding code, even on lines you didn't touch.

$ rbt post
Validating commits...
Uploading commits...

Review Request #2 posted.

https://reviewboard.example.com/r/2/
https://reviewboard.example.com/r/2/diff/

Made some changes to your code? Run it again with -u and Review Board adds a new revision while preserving the full discussion history.

$ rbt post -u
Validating commits...
Uploading commits...

Review Request #2 posted.

https://reviewboard.example.com/r/2/
https://reviewboard.example.com/r/2/diff/

When commits land on the server, Review Board can automatically close the matching review request. Just configure a WebHook on the Forgejo side and tag your commit message with Reviewed at <url> or Review request #N. rbt land adds that line for you.

Forgejo Pull Requests vs. Review Board

Forgejo PRs handle the basics. Review Board is built for teams who want richer review on top.

Basic Workflow

1. Install Review Board
2. Add your Forgejo repository to Review Board (link your Forgejo account, then provide the repository owner and name).
3. Use RBTools to post your code for review.
4. Get feedback from your team. As you iterate, post new versions of your change, and use interdiffs to see how the code evolves from revision to revision.
5. Once approved, land your work and push to Forgejo.

Requirements

Forgejo support requires Review Board 8.0 or newer. You'll need either a Forgejo server you control or an account on Codeberg. RBTools is recommended on each developer's machine for pre-push review.

FAQ

Does this work with private repositories?
Yes. Review Board authenticates against Forgejo with your account and uses a scoped API token (your password isn't stored). Access control inside Review Board is independent of Forgejo's, so you can grant review access to people who don't have repository access if you need to.

Does Review Board integrate with Forgejo pull requests?
Not yet. Today the integration reviews commits directly. Most teams who adopt Review Board use it as their primary review tool and post changes with RBTools before pushing. Pull request integration is planned for a future release.

Can I use it with Codeberg?
Yes. Codeberg is a public Forgejo instance, and the integration works the same way. Set the service URL to https://codeberg.org when linking your account.

Does it support Forgejo's built-in issue tracker?
Yes. When configuring the repository, check "Use hosting service's bug tracker" and any bug references will link to the right issues.

Can Review Board auto-close review requests when commits are pushed?
Yes. Configure an outgoing WebHook on your Forgejo repository pointing at the URL Review Board generates, and tag your commit messages with Reviewed at <url> or Review request #N. rbt land will add this automatically when landing changes.

Will my source code be used for AI training?
No. See our AI ethics policy.