---
id:"kb-2026-00235"
title:"Code Review Best Practices"
schema_type:"TechArticle"
category:"computer-science"
language:"en"
confidence:"high"
last_verified:"2026-05-22"
generation_method: "human_only"
ai_models:["claude-opus"]
derived_from_human_seed:true


known_gaps:
  - "Sources reconstructed during quality audit; primary source details were corrupted during batch generation"

completeness: 0.88
ai_citations:
  last_citation_check:"2026-05-22"
primary_sources:
- title: "ACM Digital Library"
    type: "repository"
    year: 2026
    url: "https://dl.acm.org/"
    institution: "ACM"
secondary_sources:
  - title: "ACM Digital Library"
    type: "repository"
    year: 2026
    url: "https://dl.acm.org/"
    institution: "ACM"
---

## TL;DR

Code review is systematic examination of code by peers before merging. Google's code review practice: every change reviewed, small CLs (200 lines ideal), 24-hour review turnaround. It catches bugs, spreads knowledge, and enforces standards. Code review is the single most effective quality practice after testing.

## Core Explanation

Reviewer focus: design (is it well-architected?), functionality (does it work?), complexity (could it be simpler?), tests (are they adequate?), naming (clear?), comments (useful?). Be respectful — critique code, not the author. Speed: small reviews (<200 lines) get thorough review; large reviews get pushback. Automated checks (linter, formatter, tests) should run before human review.

## Further Reading

- [Google Engineering Practices Documentation](undefined)