Code Review Best Practices - How to Make It Less Stressful

---

Code Review - Not as Scary as It Seems

Code review is often seen by developers as stressful or unpleasant. In reality, it is one of the most important tools that helps write better, more maintainable code and grow as a developer.

Why approach code review with an open mind?

No one comes to a code review to show superiority or criticize others. Everyone shares the same goal - clean, readable, and maintainable code that will serve the whole team in the long run. It’s an opportunity to catch mistakes together, share knowledge, and find the best solutions.

Remember, the focus is on the code, not the person behind it. Keeping the discussion respectful and constructive helps build trust and a positive team culture.

Some pitfalls and real-life experiences

Of course, sometimes code reviews can go sideways. I once worked with someone who would write a single comment and then say nothing else until that exact issue was fixed. That kind of approach can stall progress and hurt team morale.

Also, if you find that many comments are about minor formatting issues like missing spaces or line breaks, it might be a sign that your project’s linter or formatter is not properly configured. For example, I joined a project where the team informally avoided putting an empty line before if statements, but ESLint still enforced it. Fixing those formatting comments delayed tasks that needed to ship quickly, causing frustration.

It’s important to keep tooling aligned with the team’s coding style and preferences to minimize such noise in reviews.

The benefits outweigh the frustrations

Despite occasional hiccups, code reviews offer tremendous value. You get fresh perspectives on problems you might have been stuck on for hours. When thinking too long about a problem, it’s easy to overcomplicate or miss obvious solutions. A different pair of eyes often spots what you overlooked.

Reviews also help spread knowledge about the codebase and best practices, preventing knowledge silos. They are an excellent way to onboard new team members and ensure consistent quality across the project.

Best practices for effective code reviews

• Keep feedback constructive and specific. Focus on how to improve the code, not personal judgments.
• Review small changesets. Smaller pull requests are easier and faster to review thoroughly.
• Automate style checks. Use linters and formatters to handle trivial style issues, letting reviewers focus on logic and design.
• Ask questions instead of giving orders. Encourage discussion to understand the author’s reasoning.
• Be timely. Review code promptly to avoid blocking teammates.
• Don’t nitpick. Prioritize important issues and avoid overwhelming authors with minor comments.
• Learn from each other. Use reviews as an opportunity to share knowledge and improve skills.
• Document decisions. When team conventions or patterns emerge, document them to reduce repetitive discussions.

---

Approach code reviews as a team effort to improve code quality and grow together — not as a place for proving who’s right or wrong. This mindset makes the process far less scary and much more productive.

Happy reviewing!