RepoRelay

Give AI access to your repository — not your machine.

RepoRelay lets ChatGPT safely inspect one local repository without giving it control of the rest of your computer.

Website · npm package · MCP listing

ChatGPT → Secure MCP Tunnel → tunnel-client → RepoRelay → one approved repository

Read safe files · Search code · One approved repository · No shell · No Git · No arbitrary writes

Watch the full demo →

Quick Setup · Use It · Handoff · Troubleshooting · Security

What RepoRelay does

RepoRelay is a local, first-party MCP bridge that gives ChatGPT bounded access to exactly one approved repository on your computer — nothing more.

ChatGPT reviews your code through RepoRelay, and can leave a structured task for a separate local coding agent (like Codex or Claude) through fixed handoff files. RepoRelay is the security boundary between ChatGPT and your machine.

ChatGPT reviews/plans
        ↓
RepoRelay
        ↓
Repository reads/searches
+
fixed .ai-handoff writers
        ↓
Codex / another local coding agent implements

How the safety model works

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is the standard that lets ChatGPT call tools. ChatGPT is the MCP client. RepoRelay is the local MCP server and security boundary: it decides what ChatGPT may access and exposes exactly one approved repository at a time. tunnel-client is only the secure networking pipe that carries ChatGPT traffic to your computer.

What ChatGPT can do through RepoRelay (the normal 7-tool setup):

✓ inspect files          open_workspace, list_files, read_file
✓ search the repository  search_files
✓ write to three predetermined handoff targets
                         write_next_task, write_review, update_handoff_state

What ChatGPT cannot do:

✗ run shell commands
✗ run PowerShell
✗ run Git
✗ launch processes
✗ arbitrarily edit source files
✗ delete files
✗ choose arbitrary write targets
✗ access outside the approved repository

This is one of RepoRelay's strongest differentiators: ChatGPT can read and plan against your code, but it gets no execution capability and can only write to a few fixed handoff files you control.

Before you install

You need:

• Node.js >=22.19 and <27 (npm is included). Check with node --version.
• An existing local project or repository you want ChatGPT to review. It must be a real folder on your computer — not a drive root and not your whole user folder.
• OpenAI Secure MCP Tunnel access. RepoRelay reaches ChatGPT through OpenAI's Secure MCP Tunnel. See the current OpenAI Secure MCP Tunnel guide for availability, permissions, and plan details.
• Permission to create/use a custom MCP app in the target ChatGPT workspace (ChatGPT developer mode).

You do not need to download anything else. RepoRelay installs the official OpenAI tunnel-client automatically during reporelay tunnel setup.

Do not worry about the handoff protocol yet. The quickstart sets up working handoff files for you and explains them as you go.

Quick setup

Windows paths. Always quote the full path and keep the backslashes:

powershell

Copy

reporelay quickstart "C:\Users\you\Projects\my-app"

C:\Users\you\Projects\my-app is correct. C:Users\you\Projects\my-app is not — the backslashes matter.

1. Install RepoRelay

npm install -g reporelay-mcp@latest

Check the install:

reporelay --version

If reporelay is not recognized, see Troubleshooting.

2. Start RepoRelay on one repository

reporelay quickstart "C:\Projects\my-app"

Replace the path with the repository you want to expose. Keep this PowerShell window open.

You should see:

Ready.
Local MCP: http://127.0.0.1:7676/mcp

The normal quickstart enables the 7-tool handoff surface (4 inspection tools + 3 fixed handoff writers). RepoRelay now creates a small .ai-handoff workspace and an AGENTS.md note so ChatGPT can leave structured tasks and reviews for a separate local coding agent:

.ai-handoff/NEXT_TASK.md
.ai-handoff/REVIEW.md
.ai-handoff/RESULT.md
.ai-handoff/STATE.json
AGENTS.md

Why does RepoRelay create these? ChatGPT still cannot run commands, use Git, or arbitrarily edit your repository. These files are simply a place where ChatGPT can leave a task, and a separate local coding agent (running on your own machine, with your own permission) can leave its result. More below in ChatGPT ↔ coding-agent handoff.

To stop RepoRelay later, press Ctrl+C in this window. There is no reporelay quickstart --stop.

3. Audit it

Immediately after quickstart, verify RepoRelay's actual security boundary:

reporelay audit "C:\Projects\my-app"

You should see:

RESULT: PASS

Audit starts its own temporary loopback listener and exercises the real authenticated MCP surface, containment checks, and handoff restrictions. It does not modify your repository. This validates RepoRelay before ChatGPT is connected.

4. Run RepoRelay tunnel setup

In a second PowerShell window, run:

reporelay tunnel setup

This starts the RepoRelay setup wizard. It does everything for you:

✓ installs a RepoRelay-supported OpenAI tunnel-client
✓ verifies it (pinned version + official SHA-256)
✓ opens OpenAI tunnel setup
✓ asks for your tunnel ID
✓ opens OpenAI runtime-key setup
✓ securely stores the pasted key
✓ creates the tunnel profile
✓ tests the complete connection

You provide exactly two things, both in OpenAI Platform:

1. Your Secure MCP Tunnel ID — the wizard opens https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/tunnels in your browser. Create or select a tunnel, associate it with your ChatGPT workspace, and paste its tunnel_id back in the terminal.
2. A runtime API key — the wizard opens https://platform.openai.com/settings/organization/api-keys. Create a secret key for the project you use with the tunnel and paste it in the terminal. Input is hidden: nothing appears while you paste. This key authenticates tunnel-client to OpenAI; it is not the RepoRelay bridge secret.

Creating or editing a tunnel needs the Tunnels Read + Manage permission; running tunnel-client or selecting the tunnel needs Tunnels Read + Use. These are organization-level permissions granted by your org owner or RBAC admin. Follow the current OpenAI Secure MCP Tunnel guide for the exact UI and permission details.

When the wizard finishes, you should see:

Testing connection...
✓ OpenAI runtime credential
✓ RepoRelay reachable
✓ Bridge authentication

Setup complete.

Next:
  reporelay tunnel run

Read the full README on GitHub →