servediff

Review local Git changes in your browser without modifying your working tree or index.

With Homebrew:

brew install flexdinesh/tap/servediff

Latest stable release with Go 1.25 or later:

go install github.com/flexdinesh/servediff/cmd/servediff@latest

Or install a specific stable version:

go install github.com/flexdinesh/servediff/cmd/servediff@v0.1.1

Or install the latest development changes from main:

go install github.com/flexdinesh/servediff/cmd/servediff@main

Run from a Git repository:

servediff .

Register another repository or choose the service address:

servediff /path/to/repo
servediff . --port 4000
servediff . --host 0.0.0.0
servediff --version

Commands start or reuse one background service per user, register their input, open its browser URL, and exit. Register several repositories, then switch between them and piped diffs in the top bar. Repeated registration of the same worktree reuses its context; linked worktrees remain separate.

By default, the service binds to 127.0.0.1 and uses the first available port from 7981 through 7990. Manage its lifetime explicitly:

servediff service start
servediff service status
servediff service status --json
servediff service stop
servediff service restart --host 0.0.0.0 --port 4000

service start starts an empty service and prints its status without opening a browser. The service stays running after terminal closure and has no idle shutdown. --no-browser suppresses browser opening for that invocation. Listener, state, and asset settings supplied explicitly must match a running service; conflicting settings require service restart. Restart inherits the running settings unless overridden. Settings are not saved: starting a stopped service uses defaults unless flags are supplied. --host selects the web listener, not a remote daemon.

If acknowledgement is lost, the CLI retries once against the same state and settings. It refuses to replay into a changed database or restarted memory store. When recovery fails, the error identifies where data may have been saved.

Passing --host 0.0.0.0 exposes every registered context through the unauthenticated web server on every network interface and accepts any HTTP host name. Use it only on a trusted network.

Switch between all, staged, and unstaged changes. Use the file tree to navigate, mark files as reviewed, and select + beside a line to comment. Copy unresolved and Copy all export review comments as agent-ready XML.

Comments and reviewed-file marks persist by worktree or capture. Display preferences stay in the browser.

Register a fixed Git patch alongside live repositories:

git diff | servediff
git show | servediff
git show main..HEAD~1 | servediff
servediff - < saved.patch

Piped input takes priority over a directory argument. Each invocation creates a separate immutable capture, selectable alongside worktrees. It does not refresh and is not automatically associated with the submission directory's repository. Its reviews remain editable. The CLI prints the capture ID and URL. Reopen it within 14 days with servediff --capture <id>. Captures and their reviews expire 14 days after creation. Standard Git patches are limited to 16 MiB total and 2 MiB per file. Combined merge diffs are shown against the first parent. Use git show --diff-merges=separate to review the result against every parent.

The OpenAPI 3.1 contract is served at /openapi.yaml. /api/v2/contexts lists worktrees and captures; review operations use /api/v2/contexts/{id}/.... Legacy unscoped /api/v1 review routes require exactly one context in daemon mode; multiple contexts return 409 context_required. Compatible coding agents can access review-comment tools through the MCP 2026-07-28 Streamable HTTP endpoint at /mcp/contexts/{id}, printed by the CLI; see docs/mcp.md.

A compatible browser can expose the same tools to its browser agent through WebMCP while the servediff page is open; see docs/webmcp.md.

The API is unauthenticated. The process account is the current user for all browser and MCP requests. Browser same-origin and cross-site checks remain, but anyone who can reach the server can access that user's review data.

Review data is stored in $XDG_STATE_HOME/servediff/state.db, or ~/.local/state/servediff/state.db when XDG_STATE_HOME is unset. Schema-2 databases migrate without changing review IDs. Unsupported schemas and legacy review JSON are rejected with existing data preserved. Stop old foreground servediff processes before upgrading: they do not honor the new database ownership lock. --state memory keeps contexts and reviews only until that service stops. /api/v1/diffs/captures remains available for retained captures.

Service lifecycle and registration use a separate authenticated loopback control listener. Its token is private to the local user; it does not authenticate the web API. Use servediff serve ... for an explicit foreground process, stopped with Ctrl+C.

For source setup, development commands, and architecture, see docs/development.md. Maintainers can find publishing instructions in docs/release.md.