The extra_instructions parameter in the configuration file .pr_agent.toml is not taking effect

[echo-ydj]

Git provider (optional)

None

System Info (optional)

Start PR agent using GitLab webhook server method
https://qodo-merge-docs.qodo.ai/installation/gitlab/#run-a-gitlab-webhook-server

Issues details

cat .pr_agent.toml
[config]
response_language="zh-CN"

[pr_reviewer]
extra_instructions = "重点：安全漏洞检查，忽略代码风格，用中文回复"
require_security_review = true
num_max_findings = 3

[pr_code_suggestions]
extra_instructions = "只提供安全修复建议，格式：问题+解决方案"
focus_only_on_problems = true

/config
can see that the configuration has taken effect.

/review
But the test results do not match the expected results.

/ask Trigger normal

[qodo-merge-for-open-source]

💡 Auto-generated documentation-based answer:

Based on your configuration and the issue you're experiencing, here are several things to check:

1. Configuration File Location and Naming

• Ensure your configuration file is named exactly .pr_agent.toml (with the leading dot)
• The file should be in the root directory of your repository's default branch (usually main or master)
• For GitLab webhook server setup, the configuration file needs to be committed to the repository before opening the PR

2. Language Configuration
Your response_language="zh-CN" setting should work, but note that:

• Only dynamic text generated by the AI model is translated to the configured language
• Static text such as labels and table headers remain in English
• The AI model you're using must have good support for Chinese

3. Extra Instructions Format
Your extra_instructions appear correctly formatted. However, for better results with Chinese instructions, you might want to try:

[pr_reviewer]
extra_instructions = """\
重点关注以下方面：
- 安全漏洞检查
- 忽略代码风格问题
- 用中文回复
"""

4. Tool-Specific Behavior

• The /review tool focuses on providing feedback to reviewers
• The /improve tool provides actionable code suggestions to PR authors
• The /ask tool answers free-text questions about the PR

Each tool uses its own configuration section ([pr_reviewer], [pr_code_suggestions], etc.)

5. Verification Steps

1. Run /config to verify your settings are loaded (you mentioned this works)
2. Try running with explicit config override to test:

   /review --pr_reviewer.extra_instructions="重点：安全漏洞检查，用中文回复"
   

3. Check if the issue is specific to the /review tool by testing /improve with its extra_instructions

6. Model Selection
If you're using a specific model, ensure it has good Chinese language support. You can check or change the model in your configuration:

[config]
model = "gpt-4o"  # or another model with good Chinese support

Additional Information Needed:
To provide more specific help, it would be useful to know:

• Which git provider are you using? (GitHub, GitLab, etc.)
• Are you using the open-source PR-Agent or Qodo Merge?
• What specific behavior are you seeing vs. what you expect?
• Does the /config command show your extra_instructions correctly?

Relevant Sources:

• https://qodo-merge-docs.qodo.ai//tools/review#extra-instructions
• https://qodo-merge-docs.qodo.ai//usage-guide/additional_configurations#extra-instructions
• https://qodo-merge-docs.qodo.ai//usage-guide/additional_configurations#language-settings
• https://qodo-merge-docs.qodo.ai//usage-guide/configuration_options#local-configuration-file
• https://qodo-merge-docs.qodo.ai//installation/gitlab#run-a-gitlab-webhook-server
• https://qodo-merge-docs.qodo.ai//usage-guide/automations_and_usage#online-usage

[echo-ydj]

use gitlab ce
using the open-source PR-Agent
/config command show extra_instructions correctly