requesting-code-review

name	requesting-code-review
description	Use when completing tasks, implementing major features, or before merging to verify work meets requirements. Dispatches a code-reviewer subagent with crafted context.

Requesting Code Review

Dispatch a code reviewer subagent to catch issues before they cascade. The reviewer gets precisely crafted context for evaluation — never your session's history. This keeps the reviewer focused on the work product, not your thought process, and preserves your own context for continued work.

Core principle: Review early, review often.

Complements, does not replace: in a team workflow the Phase 4 team-tester and Phase 5 security-review are the gated audits, and Claude Code's built-in /review + /security-review cover the diff. Use this skill for lightweight, on-demand reviews between tasks or before a merge gate.

When to Request Review

Mandatory:

• After each task when running subagent-driven / multi-task implementation
• After completing a major feature
• Before merge to main (the user gates the actual merge)

Optional but valuable:

• When stuck (fresh perspective)
• Before refactoring (baseline check)
• After fixing a complex bug

How to Request

1. Get git SHAs:

BASE_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD~1)   # or origin/main
HEAD_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD)

2. Dispatch code reviewer subagent:

Dispatch a general-purpose subagent, filling the template at resources/code-reviewer.md.

Placeholders:

• {DESCRIPTION} — brief summary of what you built
• {PLAN_OR_REQUIREMENTS} — what it should do (plan file path under _docs/, task text, or requirements)
• {BASE_SHA} — starting commit
• {HEAD_SHA} — ending commit

3. Act on feedback:

• Fix Critical issues immediately
• Fix Important issues before proceeding
• Note Minor issues for later
• Push back if the reviewer is wrong, with reasoning — but verify each claim against the actual code/tests before either agreeing or dismissing it (don't perform agreement, and don't wave off valid feedback)

Example

[Just completed Task 2: Add verification function]

Let me request code review before proceeding.

BASE_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD~1)
HEAD_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD)

[Dispatch code reviewer subagent]
  DESCRIPTION: Added verifyIndex() and repairIndex() with 4 issue types
  PLAN_OR_REQUIREMENTS: Task 2 from _docs/active/planning/<date>/<topic>-plan.md
  BASE_SHA: a7981ec
  HEAD_SHA: 3df7661

[Subagent returns]:
  Strengths: Clean architecture, real tests
  Issues:
    Important: Missing progress indicators
    Minor: Magic number (100) for reporting interval
  Assessment: Ready to proceed

[Fix progress indicators] → [Continue to Task 3]

Red Flags

Never:

• Skip review because "it's simple"
• Ignore Critical issues
• Proceed with unfixed Important issues
• Argue with valid technical feedback

If the reviewer is wrong:

• Push back with technical reasoning
• Show code/tests that prove it works
• Request clarification

See template at: resources/code-reviewer.md