Where does the CODEOWNERS file go?

GitHub looks for it in the repository root, in the .github directory, or in the docs directory. Most teams use .github/CODEOWNERS. Only one location is used, with .github taking priority if several exist.

How does matching work when patterns overlap?

CODEOWNERS uses last-match-wins. GitHub reads the file top to bottom and the final matching line decides the owners for a file, so place broad catch-all rules first and the most specific rules last.

What owner formats are valid?

Owners must be a GitHub username like @alice, a team like @org/team-name, or an email address that belongs to a repository member. Plain names without an @ or a team without the org prefix are invalid and silently ignored.

Do code owners become required reviewers?

Only if you enable the require review from Code Owners branch protection rule. Without that setting CODEOWNERS still auto-requests reviews from the matching owners but does not block merging.

Is anything uploaded by this tool?

No. The CODEOWNERS file is built entirely in your browser from the rules you enter, so you can safely use it for private repositories without sending data anywhere.

CODEOWNERS File Builder

Email me this result

Get this tool's output sent to your inbox, plus one useful tool a week. No spam, unsubscribe any time.

A CODEOWNERS file tells GitHub which people or teams should automatically review changes to specific parts of a repository. This builder maps path patterns to owners, validates the @owner syntax, and emits a correctly ordered file that auto-requests the right reviewers on every pull request.

How it works

CODEOWNERS uses gitignore-style path patterns followed by one or more owners:

Each line is pattern @owner1 @owner2, where owners are GitHub usernames (@alice), teams (@org/team), or member emails.
GitHub evaluates rules top to bottom and applies last-match-wins — the final matching line decides ownership — so general rules go first and specific ones last.
A * pattern acts as a default catch-all so no file is left without a reviewer.

The tool warns when an owner is missing its @, when a team has no org/ prefix, or when a rule has no owners at all.

Tips and notes

Put the broad * default at the top and narrow rules below it so specificity wins.
Directory patterns should end with / to match everything inside, e.g. /src/api/.
Teams must be written as @org/team-name and the team must have write access to the repo.
Enable the “Require review from Code Owners” branch-protection rule to make owners’ approval mandatory.