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.
| Forgejo Pull Requests | Review Board | |
|---|---|---|
| Stacked changes | One branch per PR | Review any commit or stack of commits |
| Image / screenshot / document review | Not supported | Per-region comments on images and docs |
| Issue tracking on comments | Implicit (resolve conversations) | Explicit (issues can block merges) |
| Interdiffs between revisions | Force pushes hide history | Every revision preserved, see diffs between any two |
| Moved-code detection | Not supported | Built in |
| Works with non-Forgejo repos | Not supported | Connect repos across all your services |
| Custom workflow & extensions | API only | Full extension framework |
| Self-host fully in your network | Yes | Yes |
| Data used for AI training | No | Never |
Basic Workflow
- Install Review Board
- Add your Forgejo repository to Review Board (link your Forgejo account, then provide the repository owner and name).
- Use RBTools to post your code for review.
- 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.
- 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.
What else does Review Board do?
Review Board gives you the tools you need to keep your code quality high, helping you build better products for happier customers. It integrates with many services and tools, including chat services, code hosting solutions, bug trackers, code analytics, and more.
Power Pack enhances Review Board further, providing document review, report generation, improved scalability, and more for your whole organization.