> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.coderabbit.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Central configuration

> Manage CodeRabbit settings across all repositories from a single central location, eliminating per-repository configuration updates.

Maintain CodeRabbit configuration for your entire organization in one dedicated repository. Create a `coderabbit` repository in your organization and add your `.coderabbit.yaml` file - CodeRabbit automatically applies these settings to any repository that doesn't have its own configuration.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Organization-wide consistency" icon="building-2">
    Single source of truth for code review standards across all repositories
  </Card>

  <Card title="Simplified management" icon="settings">
    Update settings once instead of modifying each repository individually
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Card title="Configuration hierarchy" icon="layers">
  Global overrides take precedence over everything, followed by repository
  configs, central configs, and organization defaults - giving admins
  enforcement power while keeping teams flexible
</Card>

## How configuration resolution works

CodeRabbit checks for configuration in this priority order:

<table style={{ width: "100%", tableLayout: "fixed" }}>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th style={{ width: "20%", textAlign: "left" }}>Priority</th>
      <th style={{ width: "25%", textAlign: "left" }}>Source</th>
      <th style={{ width: "55%", textAlign: "left" }}>Location</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>

  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>0 (Highest)</td>
      <td><a href="/guides/configuration-overview#global-overrides">Workspace global overrides</a></td>
      <td>CodeRabbit UI - Workspace Settings - Global Overrides (Enterprise workspace customers)</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>1</td>
      <td><a href="/guides/configuration-overview#global-overrides">Organization global overrides</a></td>
      <td>CodeRabbit UI - Organization Settings - Global Overrides</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>2</td>
      <td><a href="/getting-started/yaml-configuration">Repository file</a></td>
      <td><code>.coderabbit.yaml</code> in the repository</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>3</td>
      <td><a href="/configuration/central-configuration">Central repository</a></td>
      <td><code>.coderabbit.yaml</code> in <code>coderabbit</code> repository</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>4</td>
      <td><a href="/guides/repository-settings">Repository settings</a></td>
      <td>CodeRabbit UI - Repository Settings</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>5</td>
      <td><a href="/guides/organization-settings">Organization settings</a></td>
      <td>CodeRabbit UI - Organization Settings</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>6</td>
      <td>Workspace settings</td>
      <td>CodeRabbit UI - Workspace Settings (Enterprise workspace customers)</td>
    </tr>

    <tr>
      <td>7 (Lowest)</td>
      <td><a href="/reference/configuration">Default settings</a></td>
      <td>CodeRabbit schema defaults</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

Global overrides are applied as the final layer, after all other sources (including the inheritance chain) have been resolved. This makes them the authoritative source of truth - any value set in global overrides wins over every other configuration layer. For Enterprise workspace customers, workspace global overrides apply after organization global overrides and win on conflicts.

The configuration source appears in the CodeRabbit comment on the pull request:

* **Repository file**: `Path: .coderabbit.yaml`
* **Central repository**: `Repository: coderabbit/.coderabbit.yaml`
* **UI settings**: `CodeRabbit UI`

For enforcing organization-wide policies that repositories cannot override, see [Global overrides](/guides/configuration-overview#global-overrides).

## Setup

<Warning>
  **Critical requirement**: You must install CodeRabbit on the central
  `coderabbit` repository. CodeRabbit needs access to read the configuration
  file.
</Warning>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create the central repository">
    Create a repository named `coderabbit` in your organization. The location depends on your platform:

    * **GitHub**: `organization/coderabbit`
    * **GitLab**: `group/coderabbit` (or `group/subgroup/coderabbit` for nested
      groups)
    * **Azure DevOps**: `project/coderabbit`
    * **Bitbucket Cloud**: `workspace/coderabbit`
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add your configuration">
    Create a `.coderabbit.yaml` file in the repository root with your
    organization's settings:

    ```yaml .coderabbit.yaml theme={null}
    reviews:
      in_progress_fortune: false
      profile: chill
      request_changes_workflow: true
      high_level_summary: true
      poem: false
      review_status: true
      auto_review:
        enabled: true
        drafts: true
    chat:
      art: false
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install CodeRabbit">
    Install CodeRabbit on the central `coderabbit` repository through your
    platform's installation process.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify configuration">
    Check a repository that doesn't have its own `.coderabbit.yaml` file. The
    configuration source should show `Repository: coderabbit/.coderabbit.yaml`
    in the CodeRabbit UI.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## GitLab hierarchical configuration

GitLab supports team-specific configurations through its nested group structure. CodeRabbit automatically finds the closest `coderabbit` repository in your group hierarchy, allowing different teams to have their own settings while maintaining organization-wide defaults.

**Configuration inheritance example**:

| Project path                      | Configuration used                  |
| --------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| `company/team-a/subteam/project1` | `company/team-a/subteam/coderabbit` |
| `company/team-a/project2`         | `company/team-a/coderabbit`         |
| `company/team-b/project3`         | `company/coderabbit`                |

This enables team-specific configurations with automatic fallback to parent group settings.

<Note>
  For configuration inheritance to work across the group hierarchy, CodeRabbit must be installed on the top-level group (for example, `company` in the table above). This grants CodeRabbit the access it needs to discover and read `coderabbit` repositories at every level of the hierarchy.
</Note>

## Platform limitations

* **Azure DevOps**: Each project requires its own `coderabbit` repository - no cross-project configuration sharing
* **Bitbucket Server**: Central configuration not yet implemented - use individual repository settings

## Repository overrides

Individual repositories can override central configuration by adding their own `.coderabbit.yaml` file.

```yaml Repository-specific config theme={null}
reviews:
  profile: assertive
  high_level_summary: true
  poem: true
  review_status: true
  auto_review:
    enabled: true
    drafts: false
chat:
  art: true
```

When a repository has its own configuration file, CodeRabbit uses that instead of the central configuration. Repository settings take precedence over central settings.

## Related topics

* [Configuration overview](/guides/configuration-overview) - Understanding CodeRabbit configuration options
* [Repository settings](/guides/repository-settings) - Configuring individual repositories
* [Organization settings](/guides/organization-settings) - Managing organization-level settings
* [Configuration reference](/reference/configuration#reference) - Complete configuration reference