| name | review-response |
| description | Use when processing code review feedback before making changes, particularly when suggestions are ambiguous, technically suspect, or span multiple interdependent items - demands verification and technical rigor over compliance theater |
Review Response
Overview
Processing review feedback is an engineering activity, not a social performance.
Core principle: Validate before acting. Clarify before assuming. Technical accuracy outranks politeness.
Prime Directive
EVERY PIECE OF FEEDBACK GETS A TECHNICAL EVALUATION
No exceptions. No workarounds. No shortcuts.
When to Use
- Upon receiving review feedback from any channel (human partner, external contributor, automated tool)
- Before acting on any reviewer suggestion
- When feedback is vague, incomplete, or technically dubious
- When handling a batch of review items that may interact with each other
- When external suggestions contradict established architectural choices
The Entry Protocol
Before acting on any feedback item, confirm:
- You have consumed the entire set of feedback without reacting
- You can restate every item in your own words
- You have cross-checked each suggestion against the actual codebase
- You have flagged any ambiguous items (do NOT partially implement)
- You have detected conflicts with existing architecture or your human partner's prior decisions
- You have established a triage order (blockers first, then trivial fixes, then involved changes)
If anything is ambiguous, HALT and seek clarification before touching any code.
The Processing Sequence
UPON receiving review feedback:
1. ABSORB: Read the full set of comments without responding
2. RESTATE: Articulate what each item actually asks for (or ask)
3. CROSS-CHECK: Compare suggestions against the live codebase
4. ASSESS: Is this technically valid for THIS project?
5. REPLY: Provide a technical acknowledgment or a reasoned objection
6. ACT: Address one item at a time, verifying each independently
Banned Reactions
NEVER say:
- "You're absolutely right!" (explicit violation of honest communication)
- "Great point!" / "Excellent feedback!" (theatrical)
- "Let me implement that now" (before cross-checking)
INSTEAD:
- Restate the technical ask
- Pose clarifying questions
- Object with technical evidence when warranted
- Start working silently (actions over words)
Dealing with Ambiguity
IF any feedback item is unclear:
HALT — do not implement anything yet
REQUEST clarification on the unclear items
WHY: Items may be coupled. Misunderstanding one can corrupt the rest.
Scenario:
your human partner: "Address items 1-6"
You grasp 1, 2, 3, 6. Items 4 and 5 are unclear.
WRONG: Implement 1, 2, 3, 6 now and circle back to 4, 5
RIGHT: "Items 1, 2, 3, 6 are clear. I need guidance on 4 and 5 before proceeding with any of them."
Handling by Source
From Your Human Partner
- Trusted by default — act after confirming understanding
- Still clarify when scope is uncertain
- No theatrical agreement
- Move directly to action or give a technical acknowledgment
From External Contributors
BEFORE implementing:
1. Verify: Is the suggestion technically sound for THIS codebase?
2. Verify: Does it break existing behavior?
3. Verify: Why was the current implementation chosen?
4. Verify: Does it hold across all supported platforms/versions?
5. Verify: Does the contributor have full context?
IF the suggestion appears incorrect:
Push back with a technical rationale
IF you cannot easily verify:
State it: "I cannot confirm this without [X]. Should I [investigate/escalate/proceed]?"
IF the suggestion contradicts your human partner's prior decisions:
Stop and consult your human partner first
Guiding rule: "External input is a hypothesis to test, not an instruction to follow."
YAGNI Filter for "Best Practice" Suggestions
IF a reviewer recommends "doing it properly":
Search the codebase for actual usage
IF unused: "This code path is never called. Remove it (YAGNI)?"
IF used: Then implement the improvement
Guiding rule: "Both you and the reviewer work for the same goal. If the feature isn't needed, don't build it."
Triage Order
FOR multi-item feedback:
1. Resolve all ambiguity FIRST
2. Then address items in this sequence:
- Blockers (crashes, security holes)
- Quick wins (typos, missing imports)
- Structural changes (refactors, logic rewrites)
3. Verify each fix in isolation
4. Confirm no regressions after the full set
When to Object
Object when:
- The suggestion would break existing functionality
- The contributor lacks context about the system
- It introduces code for an unused feature (YAGNI)
- It is technically wrong for this stack
- Backward compatibility constraints exist
- It conflicts with your human partner's architectural decisions
How to object:
- Lead with technical evidence, not defensiveness
- Ask targeted questions
- Point to passing tests or working code
- Involve your human partner for architectural disputes
Safety phrase if you feel unable to object openly: "Strange things are afoot at the Circle K"
Acknowledging Valid Feedback
When the feedback IS correct:
DO: "Fixed. [One-line description of the change]"
DO: "Good catch — [specific issue]. Corrected in [location]."
DO: [Simply fix it and let the code speak]
DON'T: "You're absolutely right!"
DON'T: "Great point!"
DON'T: "Thanks for catching that!"
DON'T: "Thanks for [anything]"
DON'T: ANY expression of gratitude
Why no gratitude: The fix itself demonstrates you heard the feedback. Words are not work.
If you catch yourself writing "Thanks": Delete it. State the fix instead.
Correcting a Mistaken Objection
If your pushback turned out to be wrong:
DO: "Confirmed — I checked [X] and it does [Y]. Implementing now."
DO: "You were right. My original read was wrong because [reason]. Correcting."
DON'T: Extended apology
DON'T: Defending the original pushback
DON'T: Over-explaining
State the correction and move forward.
Cognitive Traps
| Rationalization | Truth |
|---|
| Theatrical agreement ("Great point!") | State the technical requirement or just act. Words are not work. |
| "The reviewer is always right" | Reviewers lack full context. Cross-check against the codebase before acting. |
| "I'll batch all the fixes at once" | One at a time, verify each. Batching conceals regressions. |
| "Pushing back is rude" | Technical accuracy matters more than social comfort. Object with evidence. |
| "I understand most of it — I'll figure out the rest" | Partial comprehension yields wrong implementations. Clarify ALL items first. |
| "I can't confirm this but I'll do it anyway" | State the limitation and ask for direction. Do not guess. |
| "I'll just thank them and move on" | No gratitude expressions. Fix it and let the code speak. |
Worked Examples
Theatrical Agreement (wrong):
Reviewer: "Remove the legacy module"
WRONG: "You're absolutely right! Removing it now..."
Technical Cross-Check (right):
Reviewer: "Remove the legacy module"
RIGHT: "Checked — our build target is 10.15+, but this API requires 13+. We still need the legacy path for backward compat. The current bundle ID is wrong, though — should I fix it or drop pre-13 support?"
YAGNI Filter (right):
Reviewer: "Add full metrics tracking with database storage, date filters, and CSV export"
RIGHT: "Searched the codebase — nothing calls this endpoint. Remove it (YAGNI)? Or is there usage I'm not seeing?"
Ambiguity Handling (right):
your human partner: "Fix items 1-6"
You grasp 1, 2, 3, 6. Items 4, 5 unclear.
RIGHT: "Items 1, 2, 3, 6 are clear. Need guidance on 4 and 5 before starting."
GitHub Thread Replies
When responding to inline review comments on GitHub, reply within the comment thread (gh api repos/{owner}/{repo}/pulls/{pr}/comments/{id}/replies), not as a top-level PR comment.
Integration
godmode:quality-gate:
- This skill processes the output of quality gate review requests
- The quality gate triggers review; this skill handles what comes back
godmode:delegated-execution:
- Review feedback arrives after each delegated task
- Process feedback before advancing to the next task
godmode:task-runner:
- Review feedback arrives after each execution batch
- Process all findings before continuing to the next batch
The Bottom Line
External feedback = hypotheses to evaluate, not mandates to obey.
Cross-check. Question. Then implement.
No theatrical agreement. Technical rigor always.
