How the Impact Analyzer Works#
The AI Review Impact Analyzer answers the question every engineer faces before merging: "What does this change actually affect?" It runs a deep, multi-layer analysis on every pull request to map out all areas touched — including areas not obviously connected to the changed files — then scores the risk and recommends next steps.
Dependency graph
Traverses the full import/dependency graph outward from changed files up to 20 levels deep.
Security impact
Flags changes touching auth, session handling, encryption, and payment flows with recommended reviewers.
Database awareness
Detects migrations, identifies affected tables, and assesses rollback safety.
8 parallel analyzers
Multiple specialised analyzers run concurrently — results are merged into a single risk score.
The analysis pipeline
Trigger
A PR is opened or pushed (automatic), or a team member runs the analyzer manually from the dashboard.
Code graph analysis
The engine builds a dependency graph of the repository and traverses it outward from changed files up to the configured depth (1–20 levels).
Multi-layer analysis
8 specialised analyzers run in parallel: generic file-level, language syntax, API contracts, database migrations, security, test coverage, dependency/SBOM, and historical failure correlation.
Risk scoring
A composite risk score (Low / Medium / High) is calculated from weighted evidence across all analyzers.
AI summary
A natural-language narrative is generated explaining the full impact in plain English (Pro plan and above).
Results delivery
Published as a PR comment (auto-comment mode) and visible in the dashboard. Merge Readiness Card shows Ready / Needs Attention / Blocked.
Ask Impact AI
Engineers can open a chat session grounded on this PR's specific analysis data to ask follow-up questions.
Risk Scoring#
Every analysis produces a composite risk score from 0–100 and a three-level classification. The score is calculated by weighting evidence from all active analyzers.
Score ≥ 70. The change touches sensitive areas, has breaking changes, or has a history of failures in the affected code. A security or senior review is strongly recommended before merge.
Score 40–69. Meaningful impact detected — downstream consumers affected, partial test coverage, or non-breaking API changes. Review recommended.
Score < 40. Well-contained change with good test coverage, no breaking changes, and no sensitive area involvement. Standard review is sufficient.
Contributing risk factors
Analysis Layers#
Eight specialised analyzers run in parallel. Each can be independently enabled or disabled per repository in Settings.
Syntax & Symbols
Detects which functions, classes, and interfaces changed and which files import them.
Dependency Graph
Full graph traversal showing all files and modules reachable from the changed code.
API Contracts
Endpoint changes, breaking change detection, schema diffs, and affected downstream consumers.
Database Changes
Migrations, affected tables, migration risk badge, rollback safety assessment.
Security Impact
Changes to auth, session handling, encryption, payments — with recommended security reviewers.
Test Coverage
Which tests cover the changed files, missing coverage warnings, and test history badges.
Dependencies (SBOM)
Package additions, removals, version changes, and supply chain summary.
Historical Failures
Past PRs that changed the same areas and the failures they caused — with correlation badges.
Dependency graph depth
The graph traversal depth controls how many hops outward from changed files the analyzer follows import edges. Higher depth catches more indirect impact but increases analysis time.
Tip
API contract analysis
The API contract analyzer compares the current branch to the base branch and flags:
- ›Removed endpoints or operations
- ›Added required request parameters or fields
- ›Changed response schemas (field removal, type change)
- ›Status code changes that could break consumers
- ›Authentication requirement additions
Note
Database change analysis
The database analyzer scans migration files and ORM model changes to produce a risk badge:
Ask Impact AI#
Ask Impact AI is an embedded conversational AI grounded exclusively on this PR's analysis data. It cannot hallucinate from general knowledge — every answer cites the specific evidence collected during the analysis run.
Built-in suggested questions
Note
Configuration & Plan Tiers#
All Impact Analyzer settings are configured per repository under Settings → Repositories → [repo] → Impact Analyzer.
Per-repository settings
Plan tiers
Tip
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