RefactorAI

Guides

Developer workflow

Use your normal Git workflow — terminal, editor, IDE, or Git GUI — while RefactorAI reviews every local commit before it becomes a PR.

12 minApplication developers

The dev-friendly loop

RefactorAI is built below the editor layer: it watches Git hooks, not a specific IDE. That means developers can keep their current habits and still get a pre-push review pass on every commit.

Commit however you already commit

Terminal users, VS Code/Cursor Source Control users, JetBrains users, and most Git GUI users all flow through the same local Git hooks. Keep refactor watch open once, then commit normally.

  1. 1. Start the Refactor Terminal once

    Open it in the integrated terminal for VS Code, Cursor, or JetBrains; use any regular terminal beside GitHub Desktop, Fork, Tower, GitKraken, or Sourcetree.

    Repository setup
    # Run once per repository
refactor init
refactor hook install

# Keep this open beside your editor
refactor watch

  2. 2. Commit from any Git client

    The commit can come from a terminal command, an IDE commit dialog, a Source Control panel, or a desktop Git app. RefactorAI receives the same event through the repo's local post-commit hook.

    Commit options
    # Option A: commit from terminal
git add .
git commit -m "improve cache safety and enforce guardrails"

# Option B: commit from VS Code, Cursor, JetBrains, GitHub Desktop,
# Fork, Tower, GitKraken, Sourcetree, or another Git client.
# RefactorAI sees the commit through the local Git hook.

  3. 3. Resolve Refactor Requests before push

    The selected commit shows its gate status and request count. Press [r] to apply behavior-preserving fixes, or [d] to inspect the diff first.

    Resolve in the Refactor Terminal
    # In refactor watch:
#   [r] resolve Refactor Requests for the selected commit
#   [d] inspect the generated diff
#   [p] push through the pre-push gate

refactor status

  4. 4. Push only when the gate passes

    Push from your usual tool. In strict mode, unresolved high-risk findings block the push; in warn mode, developers get a clear warning without breaking flow.

    Push through the gate
    # Push from your usual tool, or from terminal:
git push

# Escape hatch for urgent cases:
# macOS / Linux / Git Bash
REFACTOR_SKIP=1 git push

# Windows PowerShell
$env:REFACTOR_SKIP=1; git push

# Windows cmd.exe
set REFACTOR_SKIP=1 && git push

Recommended team policy baseline

  • Run commit-triggered review for every repository that accepts AI-generated code.
  • Use warn while onboarding; move high-risk repos to strict.
  • Document which Git clients your team supports and whether they run local hooks.
  • Keep PR review focused on architecture and product judgement, not fixable AI mistakes.

Known exception

Commits created directly on a hosting provider — for example GitHub's web UI or server-side squash merges — do not run local hooks. RefactorAI covers local Git clients; hosted PR-time checks can still cover server-created commits.