Installation

Installing AI Diff Review is simple and takes just a few minutes. The plugin is available directly from the JetBrains Marketplace, and installation is handled through IntelliJ IDEA's built-in plugin manager.

Step 1: Open Plugin Manager

In IntelliJ IDEA, navigate to File → Settings → Plugins (or IntelliJ IDEA → Preferences → Plugins on macOS). Click on the "Marketplace" tab to browse available plugins.

Step 2: Search and Install

Search for "AI Diff Review" in the marketplace search box. You'll see the plugin listed with its description and ratings. Click the "Install" button to begin the installation process. IntelliJ IDEA will download and install the plugin, then prompt you to restart the IDE.

Step 3: Restart IntelliJ IDEA

After installation, restart IntelliJ IDEA to activate the plugin. When the IDE restarts, you'll see a welcome dialog thanking you for installing AI Diff Review and guiding you through the initial setup.

Initial Setup

On first launch after installation, AI Diff Review presents a friendly welcome dialog that helps you get started quickly. This one-time setup process guides you through choosing your AI provider and configuring basic settings.

Choosing Your AI Provider

AI Diff Review supports multiple AI providers, giving you flexibility based on your privacy requirements and preferences:

  • Ollama (Local): Run analysis completely on your machine. No API keys required.
  • LM Studio (Local): Use LM Studio's OpenAI-compatible API for local analysis.
  • OpenAI (Cloud): Use GPT-5 or GPT-5-mini for cloud-based analysis.
  • Claude (Cloud): Use Claude Sonnet or Claude Opus models.
  • Gemini (Cloud): Use Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro or Flash models.
  • Grok (Cloud): Use xAI's Grok models for analysis.

Configuring Cloud Providers

If you choose a cloud provider, you'll need to enter your API key. The plugin provides helpful links to get API keys for each provider:

  • OpenAI: Opens the API key settings page
  • Claude: Opens the Anthropic console
  • Gemini: Opens Google AI Studio
  • Grok: Opens the xAI console

API keys are stored securely using IntelliJ's PasswordSafe system, so you don't need to worry about them being exposed in your project files.

Configuring Local Providers

For local providers like Ollama or LM Studio, you'll need to:

  1. Install and run Ollama or LM Studio on your machine
  2. Pull or select a model (for Ollama, you can browse models at ollama.com)
  3. Enter the host address (default for LM Studio is http://127.0.0.1:1234/v1)
  4. Refresh the model list and select your preferred model

Running Your First Analysis

Once setup is complete, you can start using AI Diff Review immediately. There are several ways to trigger an analysis:

Method 1: Tools Menu

The most straightforward way is through the Tools → AI Diff Review menu option. This analyzes all files changed since your last commit.

Method 2: Context Menus

Right-click in the editor or project tree and select AI Diff Review. This gives you quick access to analysis from anywhere in your IDE.

Method 3: VCS Log

Open the VCS Log tool window, right-click any commit, and choose AI Diff Review This Commit. This is perfect for analyzing past changes or understanding what happened in a specific commit.

Understanding the Results

After running an analysis, the results appear in the "AI Diff Review" tool window at the bottom of your IDE. The results are organized into several sections:

Findings Table

The main findings table shows all issues and suggestions, with columns for:

  • File: The file where the issue was found
  • Type: The category (Critical Issues, Security Concerns, etc.)
  • Severity: CRITICAL, WARNING, or INFO
  • Line: The line number (if applicable)
  • Description: Detailed explanation of the finding

Filtering and Sorting

You can filter results by severity using toggle chips, filter by type, or search for specific terms. The table is sortable by clicking column headers, making it easy to focus on the most important findings first.

Navigation

Double-click any finding to open the file at the specific line. This makes it easy to review and fix issues directly from the analysis results.

Next Steps

Now that you've run your first analysis, you can explore more advanced features:

  • Configure the commit gate to automatically review before commits
  • Customize secret redaction patterns for your codebase
  • Adjust diff scope controls for more or less context
  • Set up "Think harder" mode for complex analysis

For more detailed information on these features, check out our other blog articles covering each topic in depth.

Conclusion

Getting started with AI Diff Review is quick and straightforward. The plugin's intuitive setup process and multiple entry points make it easy to integrate into your workflow. With your first analysis complete, you're ready to start improving your code quality with AI-powered insights.

Remember, you have a 14-day free trial to explore all features. If you need help or have questions, the plugin's settings panel provides detailed tooltips and links to documentation.

Ready to dive deeper? Install the plugin and start your journey toward better code quality today.