Feature Request: Manual Approve / Reject Workflow for Changed Files in Kilo Code

[Shaerif]

Summary

Add a staged review panel that lists all modified files and hunks, lets users Accept or Reject each hunk or file, supports batch actions, and produces a single staged commit when the reviewer confirms. This mirrors the Accept/Reject workflows found in Cursor, Windsurf, and other IDEs—directly addressing repeated user requests for a proper review flow in Kilo Code.

The Problem

Over many discussions, multiple users transitioning from Cursor, Windsurf, Copilot, and VSCode have raised the lack of a granular Accept / Reject workflow for code diffs in Kilo Code. Currently:

• Auto-accepting changes skips review entirely
• Manual file-by-file approvals are cumbersome for multi-file or multi-hunk changes
• There's no ergonomic way to mass-accept safe changes while selectively rejecting or editing questionable hunks
• This workflow gap makes it difficult to trust and control AI-assisted or batch code modifications

Other IDEs (Cursor, Windsurf) allow rapid hunk-by-hunk or file-by-file review and acceptance, giving users the control they need. Implementing this in Kilo will significantly improve user confidence and adoption.

Key User-Facing Features

Review Panel (Sidebar or Modal)

Files List View:

• File name, change summary (added/removed/modified line counts)
• File-level Accept / Reject buttons
• Status badge: Pending, Accepted, Rejected, or Staged

Hunk Expansion View:

• Expand any file to see individual hunks with inline diff
• Hunk-level Accept / Reject controls
• Status indicator for each hunk (Pending, Accepted, Rejected, Staged)

Top Toolbar:

• Batch Actions:
  • Accept All
  • Reject All
  • Stage Selected
  • Unstage Selected
  • Commit Staged
• Filter & Search: Find by filename, status, language, or change type

Diff Editor Integration

• Inline Gutter Indicators: Show hunk status and quick Accept/Reject actions
• Right-Click Context Menu: Accept/Reject current hunk or file without leaving the editor
• Keyboard Shortcuts:
  • Ctrl/Cmd + Enter: Accept hunk
  • Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Enter: Reject hunk
  • Ctrl/Cmd + S: Stage file
  • ] / [: Next/Previous hunk

Confirmation and Commit Flow

1. Review Panel shows staged hunks with combined diff preview
2. User edits commit message
3. "Commit Staged Changes" applies only the staged hunks as a single commit or creates a PR with staged changes

Workflow Example

1. Developer runs an AI-assisted or code-mod operation that produces multiple file diffs
2. All diffs open in the Review Panel as Pending
3. Reviewer:
   • Scans the file list for risky changes
   • Expands important files to inspect hunks
   • Accepts safe hunks (move to Staged)
   • Rejects or edits questionable hunks
   • Uses batch actions to fast-track trusted files (e.g., "Accept All" for auto-generated comments)
4. Clicks "Commit Staged Changes" to apply only staged hunks as a single commit

Accessibility & Efficiency

• Keyboard-first: Full keyboard shortcut support for power users
• Search/Filter: Quickly find problematic files or changes
• Preview-only mode: Inspect without applying changes
• Split editors: Open multiple hunks or files side-by-side for deeper review
• Lazy-loading: Large diffs load hunks progressively for performance

Settings & Safety

• Global toggle: Enable/Disable Manual Review Mode (default: enabled for maximum safety)
• Granular auto-approve rules: Allow trusted extensions, specific file paths, or file types to auto-approve while requiring manual review for others
• Team/Org policy: Admins can enforce review mode for repositories or projects

Integration & Extensibility

• API/Event Hooks: Expose onHunkAccepted, onHunkRejected, onCommitStaged so extensions and CI can react (e.g., run linters on staged changes)
• Git/PR workflow: Direct "Create PR from staged changes" that pushes a branch with only staged hunks

Edge Cases & Conflict Resolution

• Rejected hunks: Option to discard, keep as uncommitted changes for manual edit, or move to a separate "Needs Revision" branch
• Conflicts: Show conflict resolution UI with highlights restricted to staged hunks only
• Large diffs: Lazy-load hunks; offer "Accept file" as a faster action for low-risk file types (auto-generated, comments, etc.)

Audit & Traceability

• Audit log: Track Accept/Reject actions with user, timestamp, and optional reason
• Optional telemetry: Guide future refinements based on accept/reject patterns and user behavior

Incremental Implementation Plan

MVP:

• Review Panel showing file list + file-level Accept/Reject + Commit Staged

Phase 2:

• Hunk-level Accept/Reject, batch actions, keyboard shortcuts

Phase 3:

• API hooks, Git/PR integration, org-level policies, audit logs, conflict resolution

Acceptance Criteria

• ✅ Users can accept or reject individual hunks and files
• ✅ Accepted hunks move to a Staged area and are the only changes applied when committing
• ✅ Batch Accept/Reject and Commit Staged operations work reliably for multi-file diffs
• ✅ Behavior is configurable (manual review mode on/off) and compatible with existing Kilo workflows
• ✅ Keyboard shortcuts and search/filter enhance productivity

Why This Matters

This feature addresses a critical user need: trust and control over AI-assisted code changes. By providing an ergonomic, industry-standard Accept/Reject workflow, Kilo will:

• Align with workflows in Cursor, Windsurf, and other modern IDEs
• Improve user confidence in AI-generated changes
• Reduce friction for bulk code modifications
• Enable safer adoption of AI assistance in production workflows

Users want Kilo, but they want this feature first. Implementing it will be a major competitive differentiator and a win for the entire community.

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Related discussions: Multiple users have requested this feature across several threads; this proposal consolidates feedback and provides a concrete implementation roadmap.

[ambyte]

Currently, this is the most essential functionality. If the developers actually implement it, we can confidently switch from Cursor. But without it, the plugin is practically unusable - there's almost no control over changes, and the regular diff is a nightmare.

[uriydev]

Thank you for creating Kilo.! The open-source approach and ability to integrate any LLM are its most valuable features, offering a much-needed flexible and transparent alternative to commercial tools. This project has significant potential.

[ammar26]

Not sure whats taking so long to implement something simple. I simply created an extension for VS Code in few hours that monitors the workspace and allow to accept and reject hunks.

[ambyte]

Now I'm using VS Code extension DiffTracker, which solves this problem