review

Runs natively by default. Read the shared protocol first. Use CLI mode when requested, or for CI and tester flows. Dependency or install problems: dependencies. Test suppression uses CLI with --force-disable-tests; it overrides --test, disables the tester/test/browser gates, and retains lint/build checks.

Pick the source (exactly one) and the mode

Source — whatever the user gave:

Only one source may be given. The ci source is CLI-only because it validates the live GitLab checkout and CI environment; run meow review --ci even when this native-default skill was invoked. If the user seems to want two at once (e.g. a prompt and a branch), ask which one they mean.

Mode — did the user ask to check/grade the code, or to fix it? "review", "check", "grade", "does this pass" -> report-only. "fix", "make it pass", "loop until it's clean" -> fix mode. Default to report-only if genuinely unclear; it's the safer, non-destructive choice. Fix mode is unavailable for the gitlab or github source (no local checkout to fix -- say so and either fall back to reporting or ask the user to check the remote branch out locally first). Resuming from a review file always fixes (there's no "resume but don't act on it" case).

Native mode

For a whole-project request (including "from scratch", "from zero", or "from 0"), use the prompt source with --scope project, even when a plan or dirty diff exists. Inspect every area in the code-owned inventory and include the grounded COVERAGE: records requested by the generated prompt. native verdict rejects missing or stale coverage.

Follow the shared protocol's lint/check ordering, durable-job handling, host/model resolution, and fresh reviewer dispatch. Local PASS needs current verification and coverage bindings; remote reviews use only the supplied diff.

1. Pick source and mode as above. The project uses .meow/config.toml at its root.
2. Resolve the working directory and, for jira/gitlab/github, fetch the source material:
   • prompt / plan / no source: meow native prepare --no-worktree --allow-dirty --work-dir "<project-path>". For the plan source, resolve the plan file first: the one the user named, else meow native latest-plan --work-dir "<project-path>"; if neither exists (no path given, none found), fall back to the prompt source with an empty prompt (reviews the git diff / whole project).
   • jira: a named issue needs no configured project_key. For latest-issue lookup, use the configured or only accessible project; ask if ambiguous. Fetch through the Jira MCP tools already connected to this session (tool names containing jira) -- not [jira.mcp]. If none connected, say so and stop. Need key, summary, description. Build the review basis text: Review whether the current code satisfies Jira issue <key>: <summary>\n\n <description> -- this is exactly what --focus carries into the reviewer-prompt role below; there is no separate Jira review role. Then meow native prepare --no-worktree --allow-dirty --work-dir "<project-path>" (no worktree -- reviewing current code, not building from the ticket).
   • gitlab / github: fetch title, description, and diff through that provider's connected MCP tools, not its config launcher. If unavailable, report and stop. Do not check out the remote branch. Prepare with meow native prepare --no-worktree --allow-dirty --work-dir "<project-path>".
   • ci: do not use native mode. Run meow review --ci from the detached GitLab checkout; use --target-ref and --artifact-dir only when the pipeline or maintainer explicitly supplies them. The command is report-only and validates CI_COMMIT_SHA, the supported pipeline type, the detached checkout, and the target history before reviewing.
   • branch: both branch and target are required -- never guess a target. Isolated worktree (default): meow native prepare --existing-branch "<branch>" --name "branch-review-<sanitized-branch>" --allow-dirty --work-dir "<project-path>" (sanitize the same way a feature name normally is: non [A-Za-z0-9._-] characters -> -). In place (user asked for it): meow native prepare --existing-branch "<branch>" --no-worktree --allow-dirty --work-dir "<project-path>" -- fails clearly if <branch> isn't actually checked out there. Either way fails clearly if <branch> doesn't exist locally or as origin/<branch> -- report and stop.
   • review-file: the file the user named, else meow native latest-review --work-dir "<project-path>" (gives review_file and flavor). flavor: gitlab, github, or branch cannot be resumed here (no target/checkout to re-diff against) -- tell the user to re-run this skill with the gitlab/github/branch source instead, or address the feedback directly, and stop. meow native prepare --no-worktree --allow-dirty --work-dir "<project-path>" for max_rounds.
3. Report-only (every source but review-file, which always fixes): one reviewer subagent, no round counter.
   • gitlab/github (always report-only, never fix mode): meow native prompt reviewer-mr --provider <gitlab|github> --work-dir "<project-path>". The JSON's query is null for this role; build the task message from its query_template by replacing <title>, <description>, and <diff> with the fetched values, then dispatch one reviewer subagent with system_prompt followed by that message.
   • prompt/jira: meow native prompt reviewer-prompt --focus "<basis>" (omit --focus for an empty prompt).
   • plan: meow native prompt reviewer-plan --plan <plan_file>.
   • branch: meow native prompt reviewer-branch --target "<target>" --branch "<branch>" [--worktree]. Dispatch one reviewer subagent per the shared protocol, then meow native verdict <review_file>; report PASS/FAIL and the review file path. Do not edit any code.
4. Fix mode: anchor on the plan path or first reviewer prompt's report path; keep that anchor. Reset only for a new review. At each round start, advance once; stop if exhausted. Round 1 reviews first; later rounds fix verified findings, lint, then get a fresh reviewer and validate.
   • plan source fixes as the plan's generator (Sprint-Contract- aware, meow native prompt generator --plan <plan_file>); reviews with prompt reviewer-plan --plan <plan_file> [--focus "<prompt>"].
   • prompt/jira sources fix as a scoped fixer (meow native prompt review-fixer; smallest edit per finding, no scope creep); review with prompt reviewer-prompt --focus "<basis>" (jira's basis is the text built in step 2; prompt's is the user's own text).
   • branch source fixes as a scoped fixer (same as prompt/jira); reviews with prompt reviewer-branch --target "<target>" --branch "<branch>" [--worktree] (pass --worktree when step 2 used the isolated-worktree path) -- this recomputes the branch's diff fresh every round, so it sees each round's fixes without needing a commit. Report PASS, or, if exhausted, the review file's path and remaining findings.
5. Resuming a review file (always fixes): read it (meow native verdict <review_file>). Before accepting PASS, run current required checks. For an old report without verification/coverage bindings, generate a fresh reviewer prompt and review the current checkout first. A new focus requires a fresh review even when the saved report passed. If the new focus requests the whole project, use project scope for the fresh review and all subsequent rounds; an old diff scope must not narrow it. Anchor on the saved plan path or prompt report. Inspect round <anchor> --show; never reset on resume. If no counter exists, advance once to count the saved review. Stop if round >= max_rounds; otherwise advance once at the next round start. The saved review already counts. Preserve the focus through remaining rounds.
6. If an isolated worktree was used (branch source), remind the user their own checkout was left untouched and where the worktree lives.

CLI mode

When the user requests tester mode, or asks to run tests or validate behavior, for an explicit plan, pass --test to meow review --plan PATH --test (optionally with --fix). This uses the CLI orchestration so configured servers remain available to the tester agent. Tester mode is not available for implicit plan discovery or other review sources. Without --test, keep the native flow above.

meow review "<prompt>" --work-dir "<project-path>"              # prompt source, report-only
meow review --scope project --fix --work-dir "<project-path>"  # review and fix every repository area
meow review --fix "<prompt>" --work-dir "<project-path>"        # prompt source, loop to max_rounds
meow review --jira [KEY] [--fix] --work-dir "<project-path>"
meow review --gitlab "<mr-url>" --work-dir "<project-path>"     # always report-only
meow review --github "<pr-url>" --work-dir "<project-path>"     # always report-only
meow review --ci [--target-ref "<ref>"] [--artifact-dir "<path>"]  # GitLab CI, report-only
meow review --branch "<branch>" --target "<target>" [--fix] [--no-worktree] --work-dir "<project-path>"
meow review --plan "<path>" [--fix] --work-dir "<project-path>"   # omit for auto-discovery
meow review --plan "<path>" --test [--fix] --work-dir "<project-path>"
meow review --review-file "<path>" ["<focus prompt>"] --work-dir "<project-path>"  # always fixes

Omitting every source flag reviews the latest plan in docs_dir (default .meow/plans), falling back to the git diff (or whole project) if none exists. --gitlab and --github combined with --fix are rejected -- there is no local checkout to fix. --ci is mutually exclusive with prompt text, other sources, --fix, --test, and --no-worktree; it reviews the exact detached CI checkout and writes report/verdict artifacts. Stream [reviewer]/[generator]/ [review_fixer] progress; report PASS or, after max_rounds, the review file path.

Continuation

On entry, inspect saved run IDs with meow status ID --json (detach any meow resume --parked). A command exiting 75 (or printing MEOW_RETRY): wait retry_after, then run its next_command detached (host background execution), or rerun the same native helper, up to managed_resumes. Exit 1 / MEOW_BLOCKED: stop and report. Resume only when meow status ID --json gives no stop reason. Full rules: native protocol.