How-to

Review a pull request without sending code out

Last updated 2026-11-04

What you need first for “review a pull request without sending code out”

Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 15 or later, and for review a pull request without sending code out the unified-memory minimum that the chosen tier requires (6 GB for Nano, 12 GB for Lite, 16 GB for Quick (24 GB to run it fully in memory), 24 GB for Core and Vision 3.8, 64 GB for Plus). For review a pull request locally, those are the minimums to load a tier; a long agent session needs more. You need the internet to download each model (and once to activate a Pro key); after that, chat works offline.

Steps

1. Copy the diff. git show HEAD or fetch the PR locally.
2. Paste into Outlier in Code mode. The system prompt is tuned for code-first review.
3. Ask for a single axis at a time. Bug surface, then style, then perf.
4. Save the rendered review to your PR description. No part of the diff has left the Mac.

What is the specific thing to know about this guide?

For PR review, Core defaults to a 32K-token context window and goes up to 128K on Pro, which matters for long diffs.

Large diffs are the limiting factor, not the review itself. Split anything past a few hundred lines by file and review each in its own turn; a diff that overruns the context window gets silently truncated, and a review of half a change reads exactly like a review of all of it. Asking for one axis per pass (correctness, then style, then performance) also keeps each answer short enough to check.

What can go wrong with this guide?

• Very large diffs can still exceed Core’s context window if the repo files are also pasted.
• The review is only as good as the prompt’s axis; ask for one thing per turn.

How does this guide differ from the cloud equivalent?

Cloud PR review tools transmit the diff. Outlier’s Code mode keeps it on the Mac, which matters when the diff has untested mitigations or unreleased features.

What does this guide not claim about “review a pull request without sending code out”?

This guide does not claim feature parity with cloud-side workflows for “review a pull request without sending code out”. Specifically, the product surface covers chat, file attachment, the local agent loop, project scoping, and the model picker. Cross-device sync, team workspaces, and shared session history are out of scope and are not on the v1.9 backlog either.

How wide is Core’s context for PR review?

Core defaults to a 32K context window and goes up to 128K on Pro. For PR review on diffs over 500 lines, that window keeps the whole diff plus the relevant surrounding code addressable in a single turn.

Where does this guide fit in the rest of the lineup?

For a 500-line diff, Core’s context window holds the diff plus surrounding source. For longer diffs, paste the diff alone and reference the surrounding files by name; Outlier loads them via the project chip if needed.

One unique number

4 steps. Once the model is downloaded your chats and files stay on your Mac. Asking along a single axis at a time (correctness, then style, then perf) holds quality better than a single ‘review this’ ask.

Download Outlier for Mac

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Free · M1 or newer · macOS 15+ (free update) · 276 MB. Intel Macs are not supported.