Skill detail
code-review-checklist
Generates context-aware PR review checklists.
Inspect before use
Automated review checks relevance, not safety or endorsement. Read the source instructions before using this skill.
SKILL.md
The saved excerpt is a snapshot from review. The external source remains the complete and most current version.
---
name: code-review-checklist
description: Generate context-aware code review checklists from PR diffs — tailored to language, codebase patterns, and team standards. Identifies what reviewers should focus on. NOT for automated code
fixing, test generation, or security auditing.
allowed-tools: Read,Grep,Glob
metadata:
category: Code Quality & Testing
tags:
- code-review
- quality
- checklist
- pr-review
- best-practices
pairs-with:
- skill: security-auditor
reason: Security checks are a critical section of any thorough code review checklist
- skill: refactoring-surgeon
reason: Code smell detection during review leads directly to targeted refactoring
- skill: test-automation-expert
reason: Test coverage verification is a key code review checkpoint
---
# Code Review Checklist Generator
Generate thorough, contextual code review checklists that help reviewers focus on what matters most for each specific PR.
## When to Use
- Before starting a code review to know what to look for
- When onboarding new team members to review standards
- To ensure consistent review quality across the team
- When reviewing unfamiliar parts of the codebase
## Approach
1. **Analyze the Diff**: Understand what files changed and the nature of changes
2. **Identify Patterns**: Detect the type of change (feature, bugfix, refactor, etc.)
3. **Language-Specific Checks**: Apply relevant checks for the programming language
4. **Project Context**: Consider existing patterns and conventions in the codebase
5. **Generate Checklist**: Produce prioritized, actionable review items
## Checklist Categories
### Security
- [ ] Input validation present
- [ ] No hardcoded secrets or credentials
- [ ] Proper authentication/authorization checks
- [ ] SQL injection prevention
- [ ] XSS prevention for web code
### Performance
- [ ] No N+1 query patterns
- [ ] Appropriate caching considered
- [ ] No unnecessary loops or iterations
- [ ] Efficient data structures used
### Maintainability
- [ ] Code is readable and self-documenting
- [ ] Functions are appropriately sized
- [ ] No code duplication
- [ ] Consistent naming conventions
### Testing
- [ ] Unit tests cover new functionality
- [ ] Edge cases are tested
- [ ] Tests are meaningful, not just for coverage
## Best Practices
- Prioritize security issues first
- Focus on logic errors over style nitpicks
- Consider the reviewer's time - highlight critical items
- Adapt checklist to project maturity levelRead the full source on GitHub (opens external page)