Annotate AI Diffs in Influxx: Review Notes and Agent Feedback
Annotating AI diffs in Influxx is how you steer an agent on the change itself—line-accurate feedback instead of another vague chat turn about “the auth module.” Review notes (also labeled AI notes) are comments on diff lines or selections that you send back into a running agent terminal. This guide covers leaving notes on code and markdown, sending All unsent notes or This file, understanding storage versus host PR reviews, and closing the loop with commit, push, and Checks—without leaving the cockpit.
What review notes are
Review notes are line or selection comments on diffs. They are the core “send feedback to the agent” loop: you mark what is wrong or preferred on the modified side of a diff, then send those notes into a sendable agent session so the agent can patch the same worktree without re-explaining the whole PR in prose. Notes appear on the diff itself, in the Source Control right sidebar Notes section (with a count), and as an AI notes chip on single-file headers. They live in worktree metadata—not as Git commits and not automatically as GitHub PR review comments unless you also use hosted review on the provider separately.
Review, edit, and commit without leaving Influxx. Diffs, line notes to the agent, commits, PRs, and checks are the same cockpit—not a detour through three other apps.
Open Source Control and leave a note
Select the active worktree in the left sidebar, then open Source Control from the right activity bar or press ⌘⇧G on macOS (Ctrl+Shift+G on Windows and Linux). Open a file diff or the combined diff for the worktree. Add a note on a modified-side line from the gutter or popover. Collect notes across files as needed. Use Send notes and choose All unsent notes or This file to deliver into a sendable agent session. After send, notes record sentAt; editing a note clears sent state so it becomes unsent again and can be redelivered.
Review note loop:
- 1. Diff: Open file or combined diff for the worktree
- 2. Annotate: Add a note on a modified-side line (gutter / popover)
- 3. See: Notes on the diff, Source Control Notes section with count, AI notes chip on single-file headers
- 4. Send: Send notes → All unsent notes or This file → deliver into a running agent or launch path
- 5. Resend after edit: Editing clears sentAt so the note is unsent again
Prompt format delivered to the agent
The prompt format is structured for precision: file path, line number, and your comment. Example shape: File: path/to/file.ts, Line: 42, User comment: Prefer early return here. That keeps agent context tight compared with pasting an entire review essay. From the notes actions menu you can also Copy all notes or Clear all notes… when you want a clipboard handoff or a clean slate.
Send requires a sendable agent terminal. Statuses such as not-ready, permission, or no-active-terminal block send until an agent session is ready to accept input. If send is blocked, start or focus an agent in the same worktree, resolve permission prompts in the CLI, then retry Send notes. Notes stay scoped to the worktree metadata for that checkout—switching worktrees shows that worktree’s notes, not a global pile.
Storage and visibility:
- Storage: Worktree metadata—not Git commits; not auto-posted as host PR review comments
- Visibility: Diff gutter, Source Control Notes section with count, AI notes chip on single-file headers
- Send scope: All unsent notes vs This file for full-batch or one-path iteration
- Unsent after edit: Editing a sent note clears sentAt so follow-ups are not treated as already delivered
Markdown review notes
The same review-note pipeline works on markdown content in Rich mode. Enable Markdown Review Notes under Settings → Editor (on by default). Open a .md file in the Rich Editor, select text, and add review note cards. Copy notes for an agent or send unsent notes through the same send menu used on code diffs. Use this when the agent’s primary artifact is a plan, design doc, or README rather than a TypeScript module—feedback still lands as structured notes instead of a free-floating message.
Review notes vs Sidebar notes vs workspace comments
Influxx has several “notes” surfaces that look similar in marketing copy but store data differently. Review notes are line comments on diffs for agent feedback. Workspace comments are a short sticky field on the worktree card—not a document in .influxx/notes. Sidebar notes are markdown plans under .influxx/notes in the worktree, openable as editor tabs and runnable as agent prompts. Use the right surface for the job so search, badges, and send behavior match what you expect.
- Review notes: Diffs + Source Control; worktree metadata; line comments to send to an agent
- Sidebar notes: Plans bound to a workspace; Run builds a context pack and launches an agent
- Workspace comment: Worktree card meta; one sticky field; board and palette discoverability
- Markdown tabs: Any .md path for long-form docs; optional markdown review notes in Rich mode
- Floating notes: App userData scratch outside a repo—not for worktree diff feedback
From annotate to ship
After the agent applies your notes, re-open the diff and confirm the lines you cared about. Stage and commit from Source Control (optional AI commit message), push the branch, then use Create PR / MR for hosted review (GitHub and GitLab paths are first-class). Watch Checks and PR Checks on the right activity bar so you can wait on green without context-switching to a browser—unless you want the embedded browser for the PR page itself. There is no special “merge worktree” product verb beyond git: merge on the host, then delete or sleep the workspace in Influxx.
Typical annotate → fix → commit flow
Agent finishes a pass in a feature worktree. You open Source Control, skim the file list, and open the risky diffs first. You drop review notes on incorrect branches, missing tests, or naming you want changed. You Send notes → All unsent notes into the active agent. The agent patches; you clear or leave resolved notes as your process prefers. You stage the intentional set, commit, push, open PR/MR, and move the Workspace Board card to In review while Checks run. When green and merged on the host, mark Done and Delete Workspace after preflight is clean.
Source Control is provider-aware for GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, and Gitea. Hosted review chrome surfaces provider-specific state once a PR/MR is linked or discovered for the branch. Link worktrees to issues and PRs via Edit Worktree Details (GH issue / GH PR fields) so the workspace stays tied to the review it will produce. Review notes remain the in-cockpit agent feedback channel even when you also leave comments on the host—those are separate systems with separate audiences.
Related shortcuts and settings:
- Source Control: ⌘⇧G / Ctrl+Shift+G
- Settings → Workflows → Git & Source Control: AI commit/PR helpers and PR creation defaults
- Settings → Editor → Markdown Review Notes: Enable review cards on Rich markdown (default on)
- Checks / PR Checks: Right activity bar CI status for the linked review
- Board status In review: Signal that human attention is on diffs and checks
Review notes are how you steer the agent on the diff itself—line-accurate feedback, not another vague chat turn. Send, verify, commit, then merge on the host.
If send fails, check that an agent terminal in this worktree is ready, that you still have unsent notes, and that you are not looking at a different worktree’s diffs. If notes seem missing after a delete, remember they lived in that worktree’s metadata—deleting the workspace removes the local checkout and its review-note store; it does not rewrite host PR history. Prefer finishing the annotate-and-fix loop before Delete Workspace so feedback is not stranded on a tree you are about to remove.
