IntelliJ Markdown Code Review Plugin

An IntelliJ Platform plugin that enables users to create code review comments in the IDE and generates Markdown output for people or AI agents to read.

Features

• Multiple Review Files: Create and manage multiple review files per project
• Line-Specific Comments: Add comments to specific code sections via the context menu or keyboard shortcuts
• Page Comments: Add file-level comments that apply to an entire file rather than specific lines
• Automatic Line Tracking: Comments track their associated lines as code is edited using RangeMarkers
• File Rename/Move Tracking: Automatically updates comment paths when files are renamed or moved
• Markdown Output: Generates Markdown documents for code reviews

Usage

Creating and Managing Reviews

1. Open the Review Output tool window (right sidebar)
2. Use the toolbar to create a new review or select an existing one
3. Select <None> to deselect the current review and remove all line highlights

A new review will be created automatically if you add a comment when no review is active.

Adding Line Comments

Line comments attach to specific lines of code and track the text as it moves during editing.

• Context Menu: Right-click in the editor → Review → Add Comment
• Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+J then J

Example line comment output:

@[src/main.kt:10:15]:
This function could be refactored into smaller methods
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Adding Page Comments

Page comments apply to an entire file rather than specific lines and don't track line numbers. These may be added using the methods below.

• Context Menu: Right-click in the editor → Review → Add Page Comment
• Keyboard Shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+J then L

Example page comment output:

@[src/main.kt:]:
This file needs better documentation
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Editing Comments

Existing comments are visible from their line highlighting and gutter icon. Comments may be edited using the methods below.

• Gutter Icon: Click the gutter icon on any line with an existing comment to edit it
• Keyboard Shortcut: Place the cursor on a line with a comment and type Ctrl+Alt+J then K
• Tool Window: Select a comment in the Review Output tool window and click Edit

Deleting Comments

• Gutter Icon: Click the gutter icon on the comment's line, then click Delete
• Edit Comment Dialog: A delete button is available in the edit comment dialog
• Tool Window: Select a comment in the Review Output tool window and click Delete

Review File Format

Reviews are stored as Markdown files in a configurable directory (default: reviews/). The file format is regular Markdown in the format shown in the example below.

@[README.md]:
Overall this is a good first draft
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@[README.md:23:23]:
Typo in shortcut
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@[README.md:25:27]:
Move this line to the next paragraph
---

Installation

• Using the IDE built-in plugin system:

  Settings/Preferences > Plugins > Marketplace > Search for "Markdown Code Review" > Install

• Using JetBrains Marketplace:

  Go to JetBrains Marketplace and install it by clicking the Install to ... button in case your IDE is running.

  You can also download the latest release from JetBrains Marketplace and install it manually using Settings/Preferences > Plugins > ⚙️ > Install plugin from disk...

• Manually:

  Download the latest release and install it manually using Settings/Preferences > Plugins > ⚙️ > Install plugin from disk...

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Plugin based on the IntelliJ Platform Plugin Template.

For maintainers releasing a new version, see RELEASING.md.