# /babysit — Auto-Respond to PR Review Comments

> Open-source slash command that watches a PR for review comments and auto-pushes fixes. Inspired by Boris Cherny's /babysit pattern.

## Install

Save the content below to `.claude/skills/` or append to your `CLAUDE.md`:

# /babysit — Auto-Respond to PR Review Comments

## Quick Use

1. Save the file below to `.claude/commands/babysit.md`.
2. Restart Claude Code (or `/commands reload`).
3. After opening a PR:
   ```
   /babysit 482
   ```
   (Or omit the number to use the current branch's open PR.)

The command polls the PR every N minutes, reads new review comments, fixes code-change requests automatically, replies to questions, and pushes amendments — until you cancel or the PR merges.

> Inspired by Boris Cherny's `/babysit` slash command on howborisusesclaudecode.com — community-written equivalent.

---

## Intro

`/babysit` is Boris Cherny's "I'm in a meeting, let Claude handle the PR" pattern. After opening a PR, instead of context-switching every time a reviewer pings, /babysit watches the PR, classifies each new comment, fixes simple code-change requests in place, replies to questions with code references, and pushes the amendments — autonomously.

The kicker: it knows what NOT to autonomously fix. Architectural pushback, design questions, security concerns -> escalates. Typo fixes, naming nits, missing tests -> handles itself.

Works with: Claude Code 1.x, GitHub CLI (`gh`).

---

## How /babysit Works

Save to `.claude/commands/babysit.md`:

```markdown
---
description: Watch a PR for review comments and auto-respond/fix
argument-hint: [PR number] [--poll <minutes>] [--no-push]
---

You will monitor a PR and respond to review comments. Loop until merged or cancelled.

1. Identify target PR:
   - $ARGUMENTS first token if numeric, else use `gh pr view --json number -q .number`.
   - Stop if not on a branch with an open PR.

2. Poll interval (default 5 minutes):
   - Read `--poll N` from $ARGUMENTS, else default 5.
   - Cap minimum at 2 minutes (rate-limit friendly).

3. Each tick:
   - `gh pr view <num> --json reviews,comments,reviewDecision,merged`.
   - If `merged: true`, stop. If `reviewDecision: APPROVED` and no unresolved comments, stop.
   - For each new review/comment since the last tick, classify:

   | Class | Examples | Action |
   |---|---|---|
   | code-fix | "rename foo to bar", "add a null check on line 42", "missing test" | Edit, commit, push |
   | reply | "Why did you choose X?", "Can you explain Y?" | Post a `gh pr comment` reply with code reference |
   | escalate | "I think we should rearchitect this", "this has security implications" | Post "Tagging @<user> — needs human input" + stop the loop |
   | non-actionable | "Nice!", "LGTM after this", reactions | Skip |

4. After any code-fix:
   - Re-run the project's pre-commit checks (lint + typecheck).
   - Commit with message `fix(review): <comment summary>` (NEVER amend).
   - Push to the PR branch.
   - Reply on the comment thread: "Fixed in <new_sha>."

5. Output a one-line status each tick: `tick N — <action> — next: <ISO>`.

## Boundaries

- Never amend a previously published commit.
- Never push to main/master.
- Never resolve a review thread without code-fix or human reply.
- Hard cap: 24 hours. After that, escalate and stop.
- If `--no-push` is passed, only post replies — never commit/push.
- Stop the loop AND notify on any escalate-class comment.
```

---

## Example session

```
You:    "/babysit 482"
Claude: -> tick 1: 0 new comments, sleep 5min
        -> tick 2: 1 new comment "rename `tmpUsers` to `activeUsers`"
                  Class: code-fix
                  Edited src/admin/audit.ts, ran lint+typecheck, pushed a3b4c5d
                  Replied: "Fixed in a3b4c5d."
        -> tick 3: 1 new comment "Why are we storing the full event payload?"
                  Class: reply
                  Posted: "Storing full payload because compliance requires retroactive
                          query support for 90 days; see src/audit/schema.ts:18 comment."
        -> tick 8: review approved, 0 unresolved -> stopping.
```

Escalation case:

```
        -> tick 5: 1 new comment "I think we should split this into two PRs"
                  Class: escalate
                  Posted: "Tagging @williamwang — needs human input on PR scope."
                  Stopping loop.
```

---

## FAQ

**Q: Will it amend my commits?**
A: Never. Each fix is a new commit (`fix(review): ...`). Amending published commits loses history.

**Q: Will it merge the PR?**
A: No — never auto-merges. Stops when approved or cancelled, lets you press merge.

**Q: What's the cap?**
A: 24 hours per /babysit invocation. Long PRs need re-invocation.

**Q: Does it handle non-English review comments?**
A: Yes — Claude classifies regardless of language. The reply will match the comment's language.

**Q: Is this Boris's actual /babysit?**
A: No — community-written equivalent. The pattern is from his public description.

---

## Source & Thanks

> Inspired by Boris Cherny's `/babysit` slash command on howborisusesclaudecode.com.

Citations:
- howborisusesclaudecode.com
- Pragmatic Engineer: https://newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p/building-claude-code-with-boris-cherny
- Get Push To Prod: https://getpushtoprod.substack.com/p/how-the-creator-of-claude-code-actually

<!-- ZH -->

## 快速使用

1. 落 `.claude/commands/babysit.md`
2. `/commands reload`
3. 开完 PR 后跑：`/babysit [PR号]` —— 每 5 分钟轮询，自动改 nit / 回问题 / 升级架构问题给人，最多 24h。

## 边界

- 永不 amend，每次修复是 new commit
- 永不自动 merge
- 架构 / 安全类评论一律 escalate 给人，不擅自决策
- 24h 硬性封顶
- 中英文评论都能分类


---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/babysit-auto-respond-pr-reviews-9e627ece
Author: Skill Factory