Skip to main content
The analyze command provides AI-powered insights about your code changes without creating a commit. Use it to understand the impact and nature of your modifications before committing.

​
Basic Usage

gitwhisper analyze
# or use the shorthand
gw analyze
The command will:
  1. Check for staged changes (falls back to unstaged if none are staged)
  2. Analyze the diff using AI
  3. Display a detailed analysis of the changes

​
Command Options

​
--model
string
default:"openai"
AI model to use for analysis.Allowed values:
  • claude - Anthropic Claude
  • openai - OpenAI GPT models
  • gemini - Google Gemini
  • grok - xAI Grok
  • llama - Meta Llama
  • deepseek - DeepSeek, Inc.
  • github - GitHub Models
  • ollama - Ollama (local models)
  • free - Free tier via LLM7.io (no API key required)
Shorthand: -m
​
--key
string
API key for the selected model. If not provided, GitWhisper will use:
  1. Saved configuration (via gw save-key)
  2. Environment variables
Not required for ollama and free models.Shorthand: -k
​
--model-variant
string
Specific variant of the AI model to use.Examples:
  • gpt-4o (OpenAI)
  • claude-sonnet-4-20250514 (Claude)
  • gemini-2.0-flash (Gemini)
See list-variants for all available variants.Shorthand: -v

​
Usage Examples

gw analyze

​
Terminal Output Example

$ gw analyze
Checking staged files for changes.
Analyzing changes using openai (gpt-4o)...

This changeset introduces a new user authentication system with the following key components:

**Security Enhancements:**
- JWT-based token authentication
- Bcrypt password hashing (cost factor: 12)
- Refresh token mechanism with 7-day expiration

**New Endpoints:**
- POST /auth/login - User authentication
- POST /auth/logout - Session termination
- POST /auth/refresh - Token renewal

**Database Changes:**
- New 'sessions' table for token management
- Added 'last_login' column to users table

**Potential Concerns:**
- Consider adding rate limiting to login endpoint
- Token storage in localStorage may need HttpOnly cookie alternative
- Missing password complexity requirements

**Testing Coverage:**
- Unit tests added for authentication flow
- Integration tests for all new endpoints
- Missing edge cases: expired tokens, concurrent sessions

​
When to Use Analyze

​
Code Review Preparation

Before creating a pull request, use analyze to:
  • Understand the full scope of your changes
  • Identify potential issues or improvements
  • Prepare better PR descriptions

​
Learning and Understanding

When working with unfamiliar code:
  • Analyze changes made by others
  • Understand the impact of refactoring
  • Learn about architectural decisions

​
Pre-Commit Validation

Before committing:
  • Verify changes align with intended goals
  • Catch unintended modifications
  • Ensure nothing important was missed

​
Multi-Repository Analysis

If run from a parent directory containing multiple git repositories, GitWhisper will:
  1. Detect all subdirectories with changes (staged or unstaged)
  2. Generate individual analyses for each repository
  3. Display results grouped by repository name

​
Staged vs Unstaged Changes

Staged changes (default priority): 
git add file.js
gw analyze  # Analyzes staged changes
Unstaged changes (fallback): 
# No files staged
gw analyze  # Analyzes unstaged changes

​
Analysis Language

By default, analysis is generated in English. You can change the language using: 
gw change-language
The language setting applies to both commit and analyze commands.

​
Environment Variables

API keys can be provided via environment variables: 
export OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."
export GEMINI_API_KEY="..."
export GROK_API_KEY="..."
export LLAMA_API_KEY="..."
export DEEPSEEK_API_KEY="..."

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Get started for freeTalk to us