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.

=22.19 <27">

Website &middot; npm package &middot; MCP listing

ChatGPT &rarr; Secure MCP Tunnel &rarr; tunnel-client &rarr; RepoRelay &rarr; one approved repository

Read safe files &middot; Search code &middot; One approved repository &middot; No shell &middot; No Git &middot; No arbitrary writes

Watch the full demo &rarr;

Quick Setup &middot; Use It &middot; Handoff &middot; Troubleshooting &middot; 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 &mdash; 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

✓ find instructions list_files with instructionsOnly ✓ search the repository search_files ✓ write to three predetermined handoff targets write_next_task, write_review, update_handoff_state

In read-only mode, only the four read/search tools are exposed.

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

Which mode should I use?

RepoRelay runs in two modes. The right one depends on your ChatGPT plan and workspace:

• Personal ChatGPT workspaces: if developer mode and the Tunnel connection are available for your account, start with read-only mode. ChatGPT can open, read, and search the repository, but cannot write handoff files. Expect 4 tools.
• Business / Enterprise / Edu workspaces: available capabilities depend on your plan and workspace/admin settings. Where developer features and handoffs are enabled, the normal setup exposes 7 tools (4 read/search + 3 fixed handoff writers).

Both modes share the same security boundary; read-only mode simply disables the three handoff writers. RepoRelay cannot enable ChatGPT developer mode or tunnel access. OpenAI plan and workspace behavior changes over time, so check the current OpenAI Secure MCP Tunnel guide for what your account offers.

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 &mdash; 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

Where setup happens

Setup touches three different surfaces, and the tunnel and the ChatGPT integration are configured in different places:

YOUR MACHINE          reporelay quickstart "<repo>"

starts RepoRelay against ONE repository ↓ OPENAI PLATFORM create the Secure MCP Tunnel + runtime API key (reporelay tunnel setup walks you through it) ↓ CHATGPT enable developer mode, then add RepoRelay through the Plugins / custom MCP app flow, choosing the tunnel you created

The Secure MCP Tunnel is created and configured in OpenAI Platform. The ChatGPT integration that uses the tunnel is added inside ChatGPT — not on the Platform page where you created the tunnel. If you already have a tunnel and are wondering "where do I actually add RepoRelay to ChatGPT?", that is step 6 below, inside ChatGPT itself.

Path examples. Always quote the repository path:

`bash

# macOS / Linux

reporelay quickstart "$HOME/Projects/my-app"

`

`powershell

# Windows PowerShell — keep the backslashes

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

`

C:\Users\you\Projects\my-app is correct. C:Users\you\Projects\my-app is

not &mdash; the backslashes matter.

1. Install RepoRelay

npm install -g reporelay-mcp@latest

npm is the supported and tested installer. Check the install:

reporelay --version

If reporelay cannot be found (command not found on macOS/Linux, is not recognized on Windows), see Troubleshooting.

2. Start RepoRelay on one repository

reporelay quickstart "$HOME/Projects/my-app"

Replace the path with the repository you want to expose (Windows example: reporelay quickstart "C:\Projects\my-app"). Keep this terminal open.

No path? The current directory is only a default. If you omit the repository path, quickstart uses the directory you are standing in and says so in its summary. Only this default depends on the current directory — reporelay tunnel setup, tunnel doctor, and tunnel run read stored per-user configuration and work from any directory. The tunnel does not need to be started from the repository directory.

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

Using read-only mode instead (--no-handoff-writes, the recommended starting mode for personal ChatGPT workspaces that expose developer mode and Tunnel)? RepoRelay exposes the 4 read/search tools and creates none of these files. See Read-only mode.

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 "$HOME/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. If you started quickstart with --no-handoff-writes, add the same flag to the audit command.

4. Run RepoRelay tunnel setup

In a second terminal 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