Code reviews are critical for quality—but many teams waste hours on trivial issues or get bogged down in nitpicks. I’ve seen dozens of reviews stall progress because of five all-too-common mistakes.
In this post you’ll learn:
- Which pitfalls trip up reviewers (and authors)
- How to streamline your review process
- A free, fillable PDF cheat sheet to guide every review step
1. Diving into Style Before Substance
The mistake: Flagging indentation, whitespace, or naming first.
The fix: Start with correctness & logic. Ensure the code solves its purpose before obsessing over style.
2. Reviewing Huge Pull Requests in One Go
The mistake: Tackling 300-line diffs without a plan.
The fix: Scope PRs to ~200 lines or ask the author to split changes. Use “Before You Begin” checks to decide if the PR is review-ready.
3. Leaving Vague Feedback
The mistake: Comments like “This is confusing.”
The fix: Be specific:
“Consider renaming
orderId→customerOrderIdfor clarity.”
4. Ignoring Security & Edge Cases
The mistake: Assuming happy-path only.
The fix: Explicitly tick off “Security & Error Handling” from your checklist—validate inputs, sanitize, and catch exceptions.
5. Skipping the Approval Workflow
The mistake: Merging as soon as checks pass, with no follow-ups.
The fix: Have a clear sign-off:
- Mark “Approved”
- Note minor items for later cleanup
- Assign follow-up tickets if needed
Streamline Reviews with a Cheat Sheet
Want a ready-made PDF that covers all these steps—complete with fillable checkboxes, section prompts, and best-practice reminders? Grab my Code Review Cheat Sheet on Gumroad for \$7.95:
👉 Code Review Cheat Sheet PDF
Save time, avoid oversights, and keep your team aligned.
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