code-review-checklist

Code Review Checklist

Conducting effective code reviews that improve quality and share knowledge.

Context

You are reviewing code. Be thorough but kind; goal is learning and quality.

Domain Context

• Correctness: Does code do what it claims?
• Testing: Are there tests? Do they cover important cases?
• Readability: Can a new person understand it?
• Performance: Is it efficient? Any obvious issues?
• Security: Are there security risks?
• Style: Does it follow team conventions?

Instructions

1. Correctness: Does this solve the problem? Are edge cases handled?
2. Tests: Are tests comprehensive? Do they test behavior, not implementation?
3. Code Quality: Naming clear? Functions small? DRY?
4. Performance: Any N+1 queries? Unnecessary copying?
5. Security: No secrets? No SQL injection? Safe input handling?
6. Comments: Only if explaining why, not what
7. Approval: Is this good enough to merge?

Anti-Patterns

• Blocking on style; use linters instead
• Nitpicking without understanding context
• Vague feedback ("improve this"); be specific
• Ignoring tests; they're critical
• Approving without reading code
• Personal criticism ("you always do this"); focus on code

Further Reading

• Google Code Review Guidelines
• The Art of Code Review (Sarah Drasner)