Rationale
GitLab requires all code changes to be reviewed before merge. Code review catches bugs, ensures knowledge sharing, and maintains quality.
Requirements
- All merge requests must be reviewed by at least one reviewer
- Reviewer must approve before merge
- Author must address all review comments
- Security-sensitive changes require security team review
- DRI (Directly Responsible Individual) must be assigned for critical changes
Review Checklist
- Code follows style guidelines
- Tests are adequate (unit, integration, E2E)
- No security vulnerabilities introduced
- Documentation is updated
- Changelog entry included for user-facing changes
- Feature flags are properly managed
- Database migrations are backward-compatible
- Error handling is appropriate
- Logging is sufficient for debugging
Reviewer Values
- Be kind and constructive
- Focus on the code, not the person
- Explain the "why" behind suggestions
- Approve when concerns are addressed, don't seek perfection
References
- Code Review Guidelines: https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/workflow/code-review/
- Reviewer Values: https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/engineering/workflow/reviewer-values/