code-review-checklist
Comprehensive checklist for conducting thorough code reviews covering functionality, security, performance, and maintainability
Documentation
Code Review Checklist
Overview
Provide a systematic checklist for conducting thorough code reviews. This skill helps reviewers ensure code quality, catch bugs, identify security issues, and maintain consistency across the codebase.
When to Use This Skill
- Use when reviewing pull requests
- Use when conducting code audits
- Use when establishing code review standards for a team
- Use when training new developers on code review practices
- Use when you want to ensure nothing is missed in reviews
- Use when creating code review documentation
How It Works
Step 1: Understand the Context
Before reviewing code, I'll help you understand:
- What problem does this code solve?
- What are the requirements?
- What files were changed and why?
- Are there related issues or tickets?
- What's the testing strategy?
Step 2: Review Functionality
Check if the code works correctly:
- Does it solve the stated problem?
- Are edge cases handled?
- Is error handling appropriate?
- Are there any logical errors?
- Does it match the requirements?
Step 3: Review Code Quality
Assess code maintainability:
- Is the code readable and clear?
- Are names descriptive?
- Is it properly structured?
- Are functions/methods focused?
- Is there unnecessary complexity?
Step 4: Review Security
Check for security issues:
- Are inputs validated?
- Is sensitive data protected?
- Are there SQL injection risks?
- Is authentication/authorization correct?
- Are dependencies secure?
Step 5: Review Performance
Look for performance issues:
- Are there unnecessary loops?
- Is database access optimized?
- Are there memory leaks?
- Is caching used appropriately?
- Are there N+1 query problems?
Step 6: Review Tests
Verify test coverage:
- Are there tests for new code?
- Do tests cover edge cases?
- Are tests meaningful?
- Do all tests pass?
- Is test coverage adequate?
Examples
Example 1: Functionality Review Checklist
## Functionality Review
### Requirements
- [ ] Code solves the stated problem
- [ ] All acceptance criteria are met
- [ ] Edge cases are handled
- [ ] Error cases are handled
- [ ] User input is validated
### Logic
- [ ] No logical errors or bugs
- [ ] Conditions are correct (no off-by-one errors)
- [ ] Loops terminate correctly
- [ ] Recursion has proper base cases
- [ ] State management is correct
### Error Handling
- [ ] Errors are caught appropriately
- [ ] Error messages are clear and helpful
- [ ] Errors don't expose sensitive information
- [ ] Failed operations are rolled back
- [ ] Logging is appropriate
### Example Issues to Catch:
**❌ Bad - Missing validation:**
\`\`\`javascript
function createUser(email, password) {
// No validation!
return db.users.create({ email, password });
}
\`\`\`
**✅ Good - Proper validation:**
\`\`\`javascript
function createUser(email, password) {
if (!email || !isValidEmail(email)) {
throw new Error('Invalid email address');
}
if (!password || password.length < 8) {
throw new Error('Password must be at least 8 characters');
}
return db.users.create({ email, password });
}
\`\`\`
Example 2: Security Review Checklist
## Security Review
### Input Validation
- [ ] All user inputs are validated
- [ ] SQL injection is prevented (use parameterized queries)
- [ ] XSS is prevented (escape output)
- [ ] CSRF protection is in place
- [ ] File uploads are validated (type, size, content)
### Authentication & Authorization
- [ ] Authentication is required where needed
- [ ] Authorization checks are present
- [ ] Passwords are hashed (never stored plain text)
- [ ] Sessions are managed securely
- [ ] Tokens expire appropriately
### Data Protection
- [ ] Sensitive data is encrypted
- [ ] API keys are not hardcoded
- [ ] Environment variables are used for secrets
- [ ] Personal data follows privacy regulations
- [ ] Database credentials are secure
### Dependencies
- [ ] No known vulnerable dependencies
- [ ] Dependencies are up to date
- [ ] Unnecessary dependencies are removed
- [ ] Dependency versions are pinned
### Example Issues to Catch:
**❌ Bad - SQL injection risk:**
\`\`\`javascript
const query = \`SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = '\${email}'\`;
db.query(query);
\`\`\`
**✅ Good - Parameterized query:**
\`\`\`javascript
const query = 'SELECT * FROM users WHERE email = $1';
db.query(query, [email]);
\`\`\`
**❌ Bad - Hardcoded secret:**
\`\`\`javascript
const API_KEY = 'sk_live_abc123xyz';
\`\`\`
**✅ Good - Environment variable:**
\`\`\`javascript
const API_KEY = process.env.API_KEY;
if (!API_KEY) {
throw new Error('API_KEY environment variable is required');
}
\`\`\`
Example 3: Code Quality Review Checklist
## Code Quality Review
### Readability
- [ ] Code is easy to understand
- [ ] Variable names are descriptive
- [ ] Function names explain what they do
- [ ] Complex logic has comments
- [ ] Magic numbers are replaced with constants
### Structure
- [ ] Functions
Use Cases
- Use when reviewing pull requests
- Use when conducting code audits
- Use when establishing code review standards for a team
- Use when training new developers on code review practices
- Use when you want to ensure nothing is missed in reviews
Quick Info
- Source
- antigravity
- Category
- Document Processing
- Repository
- View Repo
- Scraped At
- Jan 26, 2026
Tags
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