In today’s modern, globalized development ecosystem, software teams often find themselves spread across multiple continents and time zones. As a result, asynchronous code reviews have evolved from being a niche process to a necessity. Conducting code reviews remotely and asynchronously allows teams to continue shipping high-quality code, even when collaborators are fast asleep halfway around the world.
In this guide, we’ll explore remote code review best practices, outline a time zone code review workflow, and present practical async code review strategies. We’ll also discuss how tools like Graphite Reviewer and the Graphite PR inbox can keep your team organized and productive, no matter the hour.
Why asynchronous code reviews are so important
1. Efficient collaboration across time zones When your teammates are dispersed from New York to Tokyo, synchronous meetings and quick Zoom calls become challenging. Asynchronous code reviews solve this problem by allowing reviewers to examine code changes on their own schedule. This way work doesn’t grind to a halt while waiting for a particular time zone to come online.
2. Better code quality through thoughtful review Rushed, synchronous reviews often miss subtle bugs or design issues. Asynchronous code reviews afford reviewers the time and mental space to dive deeply into the code, ask clarifying questions, and provide valuable feedback. This leads to improved code quality and a more robust final product.
3. Reduced communication overhead Coordinating synchronous reviews can be a challenge. Conflicting calendar events, meeting invites, and juggling different time zones all eat into productive development time. Conducting code reviews remotely and asynchronously reduces scheduling headaches and frees up more time to write code and fix bugs.
Remote code review best practices
1. Establish clear review expectations
Define what is expected from a code review. Should reviewers focus on architecture, or is style and syntax also fair game? Documenting these standards ensures that every reviewer—regardless of location—knows what aspects to scrutinize. Over time, this will reduce misunderstandings and conflicts, and improve consistency.
2. Keep pull requests focused and manageable
Small, focused pull requests are easier and quicker to review. They’re less intimidating and more approachable, especially when reviewers can’t immediately follow up with the author due to time zone differences. Aim for well-scoped changes that are easy to understand.
3. Provide contextual information in the PR description
To help reviewers who can’t just “hop on a call” for clarification, include all relevant context right in the PR description. Document the reasoning behind your changes, the trade-offs considered, and how to test the updated functionality. This approach empowers asynchronous reviewers to fully understand the changes without needing immediate back-and-forth communication.
4. Use inline comments and suggestions
Asynchronous code reviews often rely on written communication. Inline comments help keep feedback specific and actionable. When possible, propose inline suggestions directly in the code review tool—this makes the process of incorporating feedback much smoother and reduces the need for multiple round-trip communications.
5. Set clear turnaround times and deadlines
Without explicit timelines, asynchronous reviews can drag on. Establishing a general timeframe—like reviewing within one business day—helps maintain momentum. This expectation setting ensures that no one’s work is indefinitely stalled due to unseen PRs or unreviewed changes.
Workflow example of a code review across different time zones
A well-structured time zone code review workflow might look like this:
Developer creates a PR before logging off: A developer in London wraps up their workday by pushing their branch and opening a pull request. They include a detailed description, testing steps, and relevant documentation links.
Reviewer wakes and sees a new PR: Hours later, a reviewer in Los Angeles starts their workday. By checking their inbox (such as the Graphite PR inbox), they immediately see a list of PRs needing attention. They review the London developer’s code, leaving inline comments and suggestions.
Author starts their day with structured feedback: When the author in London begins their next day, they find well-organized feedback. Because the reviewer used inline comments and suggestions, the author can quickly incorporate changes or respond to queries without waiting for the reviewer to come online.
Final checks and merge: Overlapping working hours—if any—can be used for final clarifications. If no overlapping hours exist, the author can finalize changes and request a final check. The next morning, the reviewer can confirm that everything is addressed and approve the PR, enabling the code to be merged.
This cycle repeats daily, ensuring a steady flow of changes, reviews, and merges—all without requiring real-time communication.
Async code review strategies and tools
Leverage the Graphite PR inbox
The Graphite PR inbox acts like an email client for your PRs. It’s a centralized, customizable dashboard where you can:
- Set default repositories: You can choose which repositories your inbox displays. On the Graphite free tier, select up to three default repos; on Graphite Team and Enterprise tiers, select up to 30. This ensures you see the PRs that matter most to you and your team.
- Organize and filter PRs: Need a review, drafts, waiting on others—Graphite creates default sections for quick triage. You can add new sections, rearrange them, and even share these configurations with teammates. This helps ensure that everyone is looking at PRs in a consistent manner and no one is left out of the loop.
- Fuzzy search: Quickly locate specific PRs across all synced repositories, even if they aren’t selected as default. This reduces time wasted hunting for that one PR you were supposed to review.
By giving reviewers a “mission control” for their PRs, the Graphite PR inbox streamlines the asynchronous code review process. Reviewers see exactly where their attention is needed most—no guesswork required.
Use a stacked workflow and a reviewer-friendly tool
Graphite is built to enhance the asynchronous review experience. Its stacked PR workflow ensures that changes are easily traceable and logically segmented. By breaking large features into a stack of smaller PRs, reviewers can tackle changes incrementally, making asynchronous collaboration more manageable.
Graphite Reviewer is also an indispensable tool for asynchronous code reviews, especially for remote teams. Its capabilities include:
- Instant feedback: Provides real-time, codebase-specific feedback, reducing the need for lengthy review cycles.
- Customizable review prompts: Enforces best practices tailored to your team’s needs.
- Security and privacy: Ensures that your code remains secure, with a strict policy against storing or training on your team's code.
- Graphite's approach to asynchronous code reviews accelerates the process, ensuring that regardless of where team members are located, they can contribute effectively and efficiently.
Encourage documentation and self-service
Providing reviewers with all the information they need up front is critical. Link to design docs, JIRA tickets, or architectural diagrams in the PR description. This approach allows reviewers to find answers themselves without having to wait for the author’s next available window.
Set up automated checks and tests
When conducting code reviews remotely, automated checks help fill the gaps. Continuous Integration (CI) pipelines ensure that code meets certain quality standards. Automated tests, static analysis, and linting serve as the first line of defense against critical issues. This reduces the amount of manual oversight needed and gives reviewers confidence that the code’s baseline quality is already vetted.
Summary
Asynchronous code reviews aren’t just a workaround for working across time zones—they’re a strategic advantage in a globalized developer landscape. By clearly defining expectations, creating manageable PRs, providing thorough context, and using specialized tools like the Graphite PR inbox and Graphite Reviewer, you can streamline the entire review process. With thoughtful async code review strategies, remote code review best practices, and the right tooling, your team will thrive—no matter how many time zones stand between you and the next great feature.