Check your code in the Safeguard desktop app before a pull request

The Safeguard desktop app, currently in beta, can scan a project folder on your machine before you open a pull request. It does not gate or review pull requests itself. Pull request review is a separate feature, PR Guard, in the web app. Use the desktop scan to clean up first, then let PR Guard review the diff.

What is the desktop app?

According to the Safeguard docs, the desktop app is an Electron application for macOS, Windows and Linux. A window shows the hosted Safeguard web app on most of its width and a local panel beside it. We describe it as beta, in line with how the product is positioned today.

The local panel has six tabs: Scan, Terminal, MCP, Tasks, Files and Settings. The ones that matter for a pre pull request check are Scan, Terminal and Tasks.

Can it gate a pull request?

No, and the docs do not claim it can. The desktop page does not mention pull requests, gating or review. So this post covers what the app can do before you open one.

For the review step, Safeguard documents PR Guard in the web app. It is described as AI code review for pull requests: it analyzes the diff and returns a score, a summary and comments tied to files and lines. It currently supports GitHub pull requests, appears as a PR Guard tab on a project's detail page, and has a Run Review button with an option to post comments to GitHub. The docs do not say PR Guard is available from the desktop app.

What can the desktop app do before you push?

Scan. The Scan tab runs local vulnerability scans on folders you grant, in quick or full mode, and groups results by severity. Per project auto-scan is available. If the bundled CLI is not available for your platform, it falls back to manifest based analysis. Container scanning needs a local Docker or Podman daemon.

Terminal. It runs allowlisted CLI commands such as git, npm and docker, so you can update a dependency and re-scan without leaving the window.

Tasks. It runs natural language tasks, requires approval for destructive actions, and can schedule recurring tasks.

Files. You choose which folders the app may access, and you can revoke access.

The docs list keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl or Cmd plus Shift plus S toggles the panel, Ctrl or Cmd plus N starts a new scan, and Ctrl or Cmd plus O opens a project.

How do you use it before a pull request?

1. Open the desktop app and sign in.
2. Grant access to your project folder in the Files tab.
3. Start a new scan with Ctrl or Cmd plus N and pick quick mode for a fast check, or full mode before a larger change.
4. Read the findings grouped by severity. Fix the top items first, for example by upgrading a dependency in the Terminal tab.
5. Re-scan to confirm the finding is gone.
6. Push your branch and open the pull request on GitHub.
7. In the web app, open the project's PR Guard tab, pick the pull request and click Run Review. Check Post to GitHub first if you want comments on the PR.

What are the limits?

• The desktop scan checks your local state. It is not a merge gate, so nothing here stops a pull request from merging.
• PR Guard supports GitHub only at present.
• The docs do not describe the app's pull request behavior, so do not expect it. Anything outside the documented tabs should be checked on your own install first.
• It is a beta. Expect changes.

If you need a pass or fail result that blocks merges, the Safeguard CLI produces SARIF and JUnit output for CI use. That is separate from the desktop app.

What to do

1. Install the desktop app on one developer machine and scan one repository.
2. Agree a team habit: scan before opening a pull request.
3. Set up PR Guard on the web app for the GitHub projects that matter.
4. If you need an enforced gate, wire the CLI into CI.
5. Give feedback on the beta, noting what you expected and what you found.

Quick check

Sources

• Safeguard docs, Desktop Application
• Safeguard docs, PR Guard
• Safeguard docs home

Last reviewed: 18 October 2026.