Table of contents
- What is code review?
- Why is code review important?
- The code review process
- Tools for software code review (Graphite and more)
- Best practices and use cases
- Conclusion
What is code review?
Code review is a structured peer review of source code changes before they are merged into the main codebase. It helps:
- Identify bugs and defects early
- Improve code readability and maintainability
- Share knowledge across the team
- Maintain coding standards
It's a key component of the software code review process, helping teams avoid costly bugs and reduce technical debt.
Why is code review important?
If you're wondering why code reviews matter, here's why:
- Catch bugs early: Reduces production incidents and improves testability
- Improve code quality: Promotes clarity, reduces complexity, and highlights opportunities to refactor
- Maintain consistency: Enforces team standards and avoids style drift
- Enable knowledge sharing: Helps onboard developers and democratizes expertise
- Boost security: Surfaces vulnerabilities and poor practices before they go live
- Encourage collaboration: Creates a feedback loop that builds team trust and shared ownership
In one survey, 76% of developers rate code reviews as "very valuable" for code quality.
The code review process
The typical code review process involves:
- Create a pull request (PR) with a clear title and description
- Assign reviewers who have context or domain knowledge
- Reviewers examine the code, comment, and suggest changes
- Author addresses feedback by committing improvements
- Reviewers approve the PR once it meets standards
- Merge the PR into the main branch once tests pass
Most platforms like GitHub and Graphite support iterative reviews, automated test gates, and inline commenting.
Key elements:
- Pull request (or merge request)
- Inline comments and batch feedback
- Approval workflows
- Automated checks (CI/CD pipelines)
Tools for software code review
There are several platforms available to support software code review workflows:
Popular code review tools
- GitHub: Standard pull request model with integrated checks and commenting
- GitLab: Merge request system with robust DevOps integration
- Bitbucket: Pull request workflow with Jira integration
- Phabricator: Powerful review tools for large teams (note: this is no longer maintained)
- Gerrit: Used for large-scale open-source and enterprise projects
Graphite: A better code review experience
Graphite builds on GitHub and offers enhanced review features:
- Stacked diffs: Split large changes into smaller, easier-to-review pull requests
- PR inbox: Organizes and prioritizes pending reviews to avoid stale PRs
- Seamless integration: Works directly with GitHub repos while offering a cleaner interface
- Improved velocity: Developers review code faster with focused review flows
Graphite is ideal for fast-moving teams that want to scale reviews without sacrificing quality.
Best practices and use cases
To get the most from your code reviews:
Code review best practices
- Keep PRs small: Easier to review and less likely to introduce errors
- Respond to reviews promptly: Reduces development delays
- Use a checklist: Verify naming, test coverage, logic, and security
- Automate where possible: Let CI/linting handle repetitive issues
- Foster a constructive tone: Feedback should be respectful and educational
Real-world use cases
- Open-source projects: Maintainers vet code contributions via pull requests
- Enterprise teams: Enforce compliance and architecture consistency
- Agile development: Lightweight reviews for faster iteration
- Security-sensitive environments: Reviews help mitigate risk before deployment
Pro tip: Teams that use Graphite with stacked diffs often see a 30–50% reduction in review times.
Conclusion
So, what is code review and why does it matter? It's a vital practice that boosts software quality, team collaboration, and long-term maintainability.
By investing in a solid code review process, teams:
- Improve overall code health
- Reduce bugs in production
- Share knowledge across developers
- Ship faster with fewer regressions
Whether you're using GitHub or tools like Graphite, making code reviews part of your daily development workflow leads to better code — and better teams.