Complete Guide to GitHub Integration with Mesrai

Setting up Mesrai’s GitHub integration is the first step to automating your code reviews and accelerating your development workflow. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through every step of the process, from installation to advanced configuration.

Why Integrate Mesrai with GitHub?

GitHub integration with Mesrai brings powerful automation to your development workflow:

Automatic PR Reviews: Every pull request gets reviewed by AI within seconds
Inline Comments: Get contextual feedback directly on your code
Real-time Notifications: Stay informed about code quality issues
Seamless Workflow: No disruption to your existing GitHub workflow
Team Collaboration: Share insights and track team performance

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

GitHub Account: Admin access to the repositories you want to review
Mesrai Account: Sign up at mesrai.com if you haven’t already
Repository Access: Permissions to install GitHub Apps
Active Plan: Free tier or paid subscription

Step 1: Install the Mesrai GitHub App

Installation Process

Navigate to GitHub Marketplace
- Go to GitHub Marketplace
- Search for “Mesrai” or visit directly
Choose Installation Type
- All Repositories: Install on all current and future repos
- Selected Repositories: Choose specific repos to monitor
Grant Permissions The Mesrai GitHub App requires:
- Read access to repository code
- Write access for PR comments
- Webhook access for event notifications
- Read access to pull requests
Authorize the App
- Click “Install” to authorize Mesrai
- Authenticate with your GitHub credentials
- Confirm the installation

What Happens After Installation?

Once installed, Mesrai:

Configures webhooks automatically
Starts monitoring new pull requests
Syncs existing open PRs (optional)
Sends a confirmation email

Step 2: Configure Repository Settings

After installation, configure your repository settings for optimal performance:

1. Review Triggers

Configure when Mesrai should review code:

# .mesrai/config.yml
triggers:
  on_pull_request:
    opened: true
    synchronize: true
    reopened: true
  on_push:
    enabled: false
  auto_review: true

2. Branch Protection Rules

Set up branch protection to enforce reviews:

protected_branches:
  - main
  - develop
  - release/*
 
require_review_approval: true
min_approvals: 1

3. File Exclusions

Exclude certain files from review:

exclude_patterns:
  - "*.md"
  - "package-lock.json"
  - "yarn.lock"
  - "dist/**"
  - "build/**"

Step 3: Test Your Integration

Create a Test Pull Request

Create a New Branch

git checkout -b test/mesrai-integration

Make a Simple Change

// Add a simple function
function greet(name) {
  return `Hello, ${name}!`
}

Push and Create PR

git add .
git commit -m "Test Mesrai integration"
git push origin test/mesrai-integration

Open Pull Request
- Go to your repository on GitHub
- Click “New Pull Request”
- Select your test branch
- Create the PR

Verify the Review

Within 30-60 seconds, you should see:

✅ Mesrai bot comment on your PR
✅ Review status check
✅ Inline suggestions (if applicable)
✅ Overall quality score

Advanced Configuration

Custom Review Rules

Create custom rules for your team’s coding standards:

# .mesrai/rules.yml
rules:
  complexity:
    max_cyclomatic_complexity: 10
    max_function_length: 50
 
  naming:
    enforce_camel_case: true
    min_identifier_length: 3
 
  security:
    check_sql_injection: true
    check_xss: true
    check_hardcoded_secrets: true

Webhook Configuration

For advanced use cases, configure custom webhooks:

Go to Repository Settings → Webhooks
Find Mesrai Webhook (installed automatically)
Verify Events:
- ✅ Pull requests
- ✅ Push
- ✅ Pull request reviews

Environment-Specific Settings

Configure different rules for different branches:

environments:
  production:
    branch: main
    strictness: high
    require_tests: true
 
  staging:
    branch: develop
    strictness: medium
    require_tests: true
 
  development:
    branch: feature/*
    strictness: low
    require_tests: false

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: Mesrai Not Commenting on PRs

Possible Causes:

GitHub App not installed correctly
Insufficient permissions
Repository not selected during installation
Webhooks not configured

Solutions:

Verify installation in GitHub Settings
Check repository access
Reinstall the GitHub App
Review webhook delivery logs

Issue 2: Delayed Reviews

Possible Causes:

Large pull request (1000+ lines)
High system load
Rate limiting

Solutions:

Break large PRs into smaller chunks
Check your plan’s rate limits
Upgrade to higher tier for priority processing

Issue 3: Missing Inline Comments

Possible Causes:

File type not supported
No issues detected
Comments disabled in settings

Solutions:

Check supported file types
Verify configuration settings
Review exclusion patterns

Issue 4: Permission Errors

Possible Causes:

Insufficient GitHub permissions
Organization restrictions
Repository access revoked

Solutions:

Verify GitHub App permissions
Check organization settings
Contact your GitHub admin

Best Practices

1. Start Small

Begin with a few repositories to:

Test the integration
Train your team
Fine-tune settings
Gather feedback

2. Configure Thoughtfully

Set appropriate strictness levels
Exclude generated files
Define clear review thresholds
Document your configuration

3. Monitor Performance

Track key metrics:

Average review time
Issues detected per PR
False positive rate
Team adoption rate

4. Iterate and Improve

Review feedback regularly
Adjust rules based on learnings
Update exclusion patterns
Refine custom rules

5. Team Training

Ensure your team:

Understands how to interpret reviews
Knows how to request re-reviews
Can configure repository settings
Follows established workflows

Security Considerations

Data Privacy

Mesrai takes security seriously:

No Permanent Storage: Source code is never stored permanently
Encryption in Transit: All data encrypted via TLS 1.3
Isolated Processing: Each review runs in isolated containers
Compliance: SOC 2 Type II certified

Access Control

Configure proper access control:

Limit app installation to authorized users
Use organization-level settings
Review audit logs regularly
Implement principle of least privilege

Secret Detection

Enable secret scanning to prevent:

API key leaks
Password exposure
Token commits
Credential leaks

Integration with CI/CD

GitHub Actions Integration

Combine Mesrai with GitHub Actions:

name: Code Review Workflow
on: [pull_request]
 
jobs:
  mesrai-review:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v2
      - name: Wait for Mesrai Review
        run: |
          # Wait for Mesrai to complete review
          sleep 30
      - name: Check Review Status
        run: |
          # Verify review passed
          gh pr checks ${{ github.event.pull_request.number }}

Jenkins Integration

For Jenkins pipelines:

pipeline {
  stage('Code Review') {
    steps {
      script {
        // Trigger Mesrai review
        sh 'curl -X POST https://api.mesrai.com/review'
 
        // Wait for completion
        timeout(time: 5, unit: 'MINUTES') {
          waitUntil {
            def status = sh(
              script: 'curl https://api.mesrai.com/status',
              returnStdout: true
            )
            return status.contains('completed')
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Next Steps

Now that your GitHub integration is set up:

Explore Features: Check out Organizations and Teams
Configure Billing: Set up billing and subscriptions
Review Analytics: Monitor team performance
API Access: Explore the API reference

Conclusion

GitHub integration is the foundation of Mesrai’s automated code review system. By following this guide, you’ve set up a powerful workflow that will help your team ship code faster while maintaining high quality standards.

Need help? Check our FAQ or contact support at support@mesrai.com.

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