Claude Code now has a real code review command
The old /simplify is now /code-review. It's not just a rename. The command now goes far enough to post its findings as comments directly on a GitHub PR.
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Claude Code 2.1.147 ·
/code-review·--comment· May 21–22
01 · Not a rename — a change of job
The first line of the Claude Code 2.1.147 changelog, shipped on May 21, says the /simplify command became /code-review. It looks like a simple rename, but what it actually does has changed.
Before (/simplify, gone) |
Now (/code-review, first-class command) |
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|---|---|---|
| Role | Code-simplification helper | Correctness bug review |
| Target | current code | current diff |
| Output | in the terminal | down to PR comments |
| Focus | refactor suggestions | correctness bugs |
The key is that the focus moved. Instead of "make it cleaner," it now looks at "does this change have a bug?" Anthropic has said it runs code review on nearly every PR internally.
02 · What landed in this week's batch
- Review effort: tunable — low→max selectable
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PR posting:
--comment— GitHub inline comments -
/usage: by category — skill · subagent · MCP -
/diff: keyboard — j · k · PgUp scroll
You can pick the review effort, from low to max. Low and medium surface only a few high-confidence flags, while high and max cast a wider net and catch the uncertain stuff too. In the same week, 2.1.149 made /usage break usage down by skills, subagents, plugins, and MCP servers, and let you scroll /diff from the keyboard.
03 · Where it slots into your workflow
/code-review use cases:
- Run it locally once before opening a PR — It only looks at the current diff, so it stays focused on what changed.
- Use low effort for busy PRs to get just the essentials — Less noise, high-confidence flags only.
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Use
--commentto put the review on the PR for important changes — Reviewers see it right inside GitHub. - Not a replacement for human review yet — Safer to treat it as a first-pass filter.
04 · The point is that it isn't a separate tool
The most striking part of this change is that code review didn't arrive as a separate tool — it came in as a single CLI command.
- Why it matters: It stays inside your terminal workflow — no separate review bot to wire up.
- What to watch: How much accuracy actually differs across effort levels is something you'll only learn by using it.
05 · Eddie's take
"The thing is, the review command doesn't just end on your screen — it goes out to the PR. If it were me, I'd wire it into the team pipeline as a first-pass filter first."
— Eddie
If you're already on Claude Code, update and run /code-review first. And if you've got the /simplify shortcut in muscle memory, just remember the name changed.
References
Claude Code official
Context
Disclaimer: Based on the official changelog. Features may change by version. No ads or affiliate links.
Original with full infographics and visual structure: https://jessinvestment.com/claude-code-now-ships-a-real-code-review-command-down-to-pr-comments/
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