Code Review Practices That Actually Help
🎯 What Code Reviews Should Do
Code reviews aren't just gatekeeping. They're knowledge sharing, bug catching, and quality improvement. But only if done right.
✅ Practices That Work
1. Review for Understanding, Not Perfection
Ask "does this solve the problem?" before "is this the perfect solution?" Perfect is the enemy of shipped.
2. Explain the "Why"
Don't just say "this is wrong." Say "this could fail if X happens because Y." Help the author learn, not just fix.
3. Keep PRs Small
Big PRs are hard to review. Break them into logical chunks. 200–300 lines is a good target. More than 500? Split it.
4. Review Tests First
If the tests are good, the code is probably fine. If the tests are missing or weak, that's the real problem.
5. Be Kind
Code reviews aren't personal attacks. Be constructive. "Consider using X instead" beats "this is terrible."
⚠️ What Doesn't Work
- Nitpicking style: If it's consistent with the codebase, let it be.
- Blocking on preferences: "I'd do it differently" isn't a reason to block.
- Reviewing everything: Focus on logic, architecture, and edge cases. Don't review every line.
- Delayed reviews: Review within 24 hours. Blocking someone's work is rude.
🔄 My Review Checklist
- Does it solve the problem?
- Are there obvious bugs or edge cases?
- Is it testable and tested?
- Is it readable and maintainable?
- Does it follow the team's patterns?
If all yes, approve. Don't ask for changes unless something actually matters.
💭 My Take
Good code reviews make the team better. Bad ones make people avoid reviews or write defensive code.
Review to help, not to judge. Your job is to make the code better, not to prove you're smarter.