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NotebookLens Docs

NotebookLens helps DS/ML teams review Jupyter notebook changes on GitHub.

It has two product surfaces:

  • the OSS GitHub Action, which adds one sticky pull request comment
  • the Hosted Review Workspace Beta, which opens from a dedicated check run

Start with the OSS Action Browse examples

Start here

If you are new to NotebookLens, start with one of these two paths:

Choose your path

Path Best for What reviewers see in GitHub
OSS Action Teams that want notebook-aware review in a few minutes with no extra service to run One sticky NotebookLens PR comment
Hosted Review Workspace Beta Teams that want snapshot history, inline threads, GitHub PR sync, and an optional self-hosted deployment One NotebookLens Review Workspace check run that opens the hosted UI

You can use both on the same pull request. They do not replace each other:

  • the Action owns the sticky comment
  • the hosted workspace owns the check run

What users usually want to know

"Do I need AI to get value?"

No. The OSS Action works in ai-provider: none, and the hosted workspace stays deterministic when no LiteLLM config is active.

"What will reviewers actually see?"

  • Action: one sticky PR comment with notebook-aware summaries, reviewer guidance, and optional Claude output
  • Hosted workspace beta: one check run that opens snapshot history, visual notebook diffs, and inline threads

"Can I try this before setting it up?"

Yes. Start with Examples if you want to see both surfaces first.

What most teams should do first

  1. Start with the OSS Action quick start.
  2. Use Examples if you want to preview the output before installing anything.
  3. Add the Hosted Review Workspace Beta only when your review loop needs more than a PR comment.

Common questions

  • Does NotebookLens need an external AI provider? No. The OSS Action works in ai-provider: none, and the hosted workspace stays deterministic when no LiteLLM config is active. See Privacy and Data Flow.
  • Will fork pull requests still work? Yes, with different constraints for the Action and hosted workspace. See Privacy and Data Flow.
  • What if something does not show up in GitHub? Start with Troubleshooting.
  • Can we self-host the hosted workspace beta? Yes, for internal pilots with Docker Compose. Start with Self-Hosting.

Operator guides

If your team is running the hosted workspace itself, continue with:

Hosted workspace status

The hosted review workspace is still beta in v0.4.1-beta. Start with the OSS Action if your team wants the lowest-risk first install.

Examples

Want to see the review surfaces before installing anything? Use Examples.