Skip to main content

Code Review Checklist Templates

Status: Active
Version: 1.0.0
Last Updated: 2026-01-05
Epic: Epic 7 - Codebase Maintenance and Review
Story: Story 2 - Code Review Standards and Processes
Task: E7:S02:T02 - Create code review checklist templates
Related: Code Review Standards and Guidelines, Maintenance Workflow Processes

Executive Summary​

This document provides reusable code review checklist templates for different types of code changes. These checklists ensure comprehensive, consistent code reviews across the AI Dev Kit project.

Key Principles:

  • Comprehensive Coverage: Checklists cover all important review areas
  • Reusable Templates: Templates can be customized for specific needs
  • Change-Type Specific: Different checklists for different change types
  • Actionable Items: Checklist items are specific and actionable
  • Quality Assurance: Checklists ensure consistent review quality

How to Use These Checklists​

Selection​

Choose the appropriate checklist:

  • Feature Additions: New features, enhancements, major functionality
  • Bug Fixes: Bug fixes, hotfixes, corrections
  • Refactoring: Code restructuring, improvements, technical debt
  • Documentation Updates: Documentation-only changes
  • Configuration Changes: Configuration, settings, environment changes

Customization​

Customize for your needs:

  • Add project-specific items
  • Remove items not applicable
  • Add context-specific checks
  • Modify based on change scope

Completion​

Complete the checklist:

  • Check off items as reviewed
  • Note any issues found
  • Document any exceptions
  • Provide feedback on items

General Code Review Checklist​

Functional Correctness​

  • Code implements requirements correctly
  • Business logic is correct
  • Edge cases are handled appropriately
  • Error conditions are handled
  • Input validation is present where needed
  • Output is correct and expected

Code Quality​

  • Code is readable and clear
  • Variable and function names are descriptive
  • Code follows DRY principles
  • Functions and classes have single responsibilities
  • Code is modular and loosely coupled
  • Dependencies are minimal and appropriate

Security​

  • Input validation is comprehensive
  • Authentication/authorization is correct
  • Sensitive data is protected
  • Common vulnerabilities are prevented
  • Dependencies are secure and up-to-date
  • Secrets are not hardcoded

Testing​

  • Tests are present and comprehensive
  • Test coverage is adequate
  • Edge cases are tested
  • Error conditions are tested
  • Tests are clear and maintainable
  • Tests pass consistently

Documentation​

  • Code is documented appropriately
  • Functions/classes have docstrings
  • Complex logic has comments
  • User documentation is updated (if needed)
  • Technical documentation is updated (if needed)
  • Examples are provided (if needed)

Style and Formatting​

  • Code follows style guide
  • Formatting is consistent
  • Linting rules are followed
  • Naming conventions are followed
  • Code organization is logical

Architecture and Design​

  • Code aligns with architecture
  • Design patterns are used appropriately
  • SOLID principles are followed
  • Dependencies are appropriate
  • No architectural violations

Feature Additions Checklist​

Requirements and Design​

  • Requirements are met
  • Design is appropriate for requirements
  • Design is extensible and maintainable
  • Design follows architectural principles
  • Design is documented (ADR if needed)

Implementation​

  • Feature is implemented correctly
  • Code quality is high
  • Performance is acceptable
  • Error handling is comprehensive
  • Edge cases are handled

Integration​

  • Integration with existing code is correct
  • No breaking changes (or documented if intentional)
  • Dependencies are appropriate
  • API changes are documented
  • Backward compatibility is maintained (if applicable)

Testing​

  • Unit tests are comprehensive
  • Integration tests are present (if needed)
  • Edge cases are tested
  • Error conditions are tested
  • Test coverage is adequate

Documentation​

  • Feature is documented
  • User documentation is updated
  • API documentation is updated (if applicable)
  • Examples are provided
  • Migration guide is provided (if needed)

Security​

  • Security considerations are addressed
  • Input validation is present
  • Authentication/authorization is correct
  • Sensitive data is protected
  • Security best practices are followed

Bug Fix Checklist​

Root Cause Analysis​

  • Root cause is identified
  • Fix addresses root cause (not just symptoms)
  • Fix is correct and complete
  • Related issues are considered

Implementation​

  • Fix is implemented correctly
  • Code quality is maintained or improved
  • No new bugs introduced
  • Error handling is appropriate
  • Edge cases are considered

Testing​

  • Bug is reproduced in test (if possible)
  • Fix is verified with test
  • Regression tests are added
  • Related functionality is tested
  • Test coverage is maintained or improved

Documentation​

  • Bug fix is documented (changelog, etc.)
  • Root cause is documented (if significant)
  • Prevention measures are documented (if applicable)
  • Code comments are updated (if needed)

Verification​

  • Bug is resolved
  • No regressions introduced
  • Related functionality still works
  • Performance is not degraded

Refactoring Checklist​

Functionality Preservation​

  • Functionality is preserved
  • Behavior is unchanged (or intentionally changed and documented)
  • All tests still pass
  • No regressions introduced
  • Performance is maintained or improved

Code Quality Improvement​

  • Code quality is improved
  • Readability is enhanced
  • Maintainability is improved
  • Complexity is reduced
  • Code duplication is reduced

Testing​

  • All existing tests pass
  • Test coverage is maintained
  • New tests are added (if needed)
  • Test quality is maintained or improved

Documentation​

  • Refactoring is documented
  • Rationale is explained
  • Code comments are updated
  • Architecture documentation is updated (if needed)

Risk Assessment​

  • Risk is assessed and acceptable
  • Rollback plan is available (if needed)
  • Impact is understood
  • Stakeholders are informed (if significant)

Documentation Updates Checklist​

Accuracy​

  • Documentation is accurate
  • Information matches current implementation
  • Examples are correct and work
  • Code snippets are correct
  • Version numbers are current

Completeness​

  • All relevant sections are updated
  • New features are documented
  • Breaking changes are documented
  • Migration guides are provided (if needed)
  • Examples are comprehensive

Clarity​

  • Documentation is clear and understandable
  • Technical terms are defined
  • Structure is logical
  • Navigation is intuitive
  • Formatting is correct

Consistency​

  • Terminology is consistent
  • Style is consistent
  • Format is consistent
  • Links are valid
  • References are current

User Experience​

  • Documentation is user-friendly
  • Examples are helpful
  • Troubleshooting is included (if needed)
  • Common issues are addressed (if applicable)

Configuration Changes Checklist​

Correctness​

  • Configuration is correct
  • Values are appropriate
  • Format is valid
  • Required fields are present
  • Defaults are appropriate

Impact Assessment​

  • Impact is understood
  • Affected systems are identified
  • Dependencies are considered
  • Rollback is possible
  • Risk is assessed

Documentation​

  • Changes are documented
  • Rationale is explained
  • Impact is documented
  • Migration steps are provided (if needed)
  • Rollback steps are documented

Security​

  • Security implications are considered
  • Sensitive values are protected
  • Access controls are appropriate
  • Secrets are handled securely

Testing​

  • Configuration is tested
  • Changes are verified
  • Rollback is tested (if applicable)
  • Integration is tested (if needed)

Security-Focused Review Checklist​

Input Validation​

  • All inputs are validated
  • Validation is comprehensive
  • Validation occurs at boundaries
  • Invalid inputs are handled gracefully
  • No trust assumptions

Authentication and Authorization​

  • Authentication is required where appropriate
  • Authorization checks are present
  • Permission checks are correct
  • No privilege escalation vulnerabilities
  • Security-sensitive operations are protected

Data Protection​

  • Sensitive data is protected
  • Encryption is used where appropriate
  • Secrets are not hardcoded
  • Data transmission is secure
  • Data storage is secure

Vulnerability Prevention​

  • SQL injection is prevented
  • XSS is prevented
  • CSRF is prevented
  • Other common vulnerabilities are prevented
  • Dependencies are secure

Security Best Practices​

  • Security best practices are followed
  • Security considerations are documented
  • Security testing is performed (if applicable)
  • Security review is completed (if needed)

Performance-Focused Review Checklist​

Algorithm Efficiency​

  • Algorithms are efficient
  • Data structures are appropriate
  • Time complexity is acceptable
  • Space complexity is acceptable
  • Performance-critical paths are optimized

Resource Usage​

  • Memory usage is reasonable
  • CPU usage is reasonable
  • I/O operations are efficient
  • Network usage is optimized (if applicable)
  • Resource leaks are prevented

Scalability​

  • Code scales appropriately
  • Bottlenecks are identified and addressed
  • Caching is used where appropriate
  • Database queries are optimized (if applicable)
  • Concurrent access is handled (if applicable)

Performance Testing​

  • Performance is tested
  • Benchmarks are provided (if applicable)
  • Performance regressions are checked
  • Load testing is performed (if applicable)

Quick Review Checklist (Light Review)​

Critical Checks​

  • Code compiles/runs without errors
  • Tests pass
  • No obvious bugs
  • Security issues are not obvious
  • Documentation is updated (if needed)

Quality Checks​

  • Code is readable
  • Style is consistent
  • No obvious code smells
  • Functionality appears correct

Use For:

  • Simple bug fixes
  • Minor documentation updates
  • Style-only changes
  • Trivial changes

Comprehensive Review Checklist (Deep Review)​

All General Checklist Items​

  • All items from General Code Review Checklist

Additional Deep Review Items​

  • Architecture is thoroughly reviewed
  • Design patterns are evaluated
  • Performance implications are analyzed
  • Security is deeply reviewed
  • Test strategy is evaluated
  • Documentation completeness is verified
  • Integration points are thoroughly checked
  • Edge cases are comprehensively tested
  • Error handling is complete
  • Scalability is considered

Use For:

  • Critical changes (security, core functionality)
  • Large changes (significant refactoring, new features)
  • Complex changes (algorithmic changes, architectural changes)
  • High-risk changes (breaking changes, migrations)

Usage Examples​

Example 1: Feature Addition Review​

Change: New CLI command for framework updates

Checklist Used: Feature Additions Checklist

Review Process:

  1. Requirements and Design: ✅ Requirements met, design appropriate
  2. Implementation: ✅ Code quality high, error handling comprehensive
  3. Integration: ✅ Integrates correctly with existing CLI
  4. Testing: ✅ Unit tests comprehensive, integration tests present
  5. Documentation: ✅ User docs updated, examples provided
  6. Security: ✅ Input validation present, no security issues

Result: Approved with minor suggestions

Example 2: Bug Fix Review​

Change: Fix SQL injection vulnerability in user query

Checklist Used: Bug Fix Checklist + Security-Focused Review Checklist

Review Process:

  1. Root Cause: ✅ Identified SQL injection vulnerability
  2. Implementation: ✅ Fix uses parameterized queries
  3. Testing: ✅ Regression tests added
  4. Documentation: ✅ Security fix documented
  5. Security Review: ✅ Vulnerability prevented, best practices followed

Result: Approved - critical security fix

Example 3: Refactoring Review​

Change: Extract validation logic into separate module

Checklist Used: Refactoring Checklist

Review Process:

  1. Functionality: ✅ All tests pass, behavior preserved
  2. Code Quality: ✅ Readability improved, duplication reduced
  3. Testing: ✅ Test coverage maintained
  4. Documentation: ✅ Refactoring documented
  5. Risk: ✅ Low risk, rollback available

Result: Approved

Customization Guidelines​

Adding Project-Specific Items​

When to Add:

  • Project has specific requirements
  • Domain-specific concerns
  • Tool-specific checks
  • Process-specific requirements

How to Add:

  • Add items to appropriate section
  • Make items specific and actionable
  • Document rationale if needed
  • Update templates as needed

Removing Items​

When to Remove:

  • Items not applicable to project
  • Items covered by automated tools
  • Items not relevant to change type
  • Items that add no value

How to Remove:

  • Remove from checklist
  • Document reason if significant
  • Update templates as needed

Integration with Review Tools​

IDE Integration​

Use Checklists:

  • Create checklist files in project
  • Reference in review comments
  • Use as review reminders
  • Track completion in review tools

Review Platform Integration​

Use Checklists:

  • Add checklist to PR template
  • Reference in review comments
  • Use for review tracking
  • Integrate with review workflows

Kanban Integration​

Use Checklists:

  • Attach to Kanban tasks
  • Track review progress
  • Document review completion
  • Link to review artifacts

References​

  • Code Review Standards and Guidelines: docs/architecture/standards-and-adrs/code-review-standards-and-guidelines.md
  • Maintenance Workflow Processes: docs/architecture/standards-and-adrs/maintenance-workflow-processes.md
  • Kanban Governance Policy: packages/frameworks/kanban/policies/kanban-governance-policy.md
  • Epic 7: docs/project-management/kanban/epics/Epic-7/Epic-7.md
  • Story 2: docs/project-management/kanban/epics/Epic-7/Story-002-code-review-standards-and-processes.md

Decision Record​

Decision: Create comprehensive, reusable code review checklist templates for different change types.

Rationale:

  • Ensures comprehensive reviews across all change types
  • Provides reusable templates for consistency
  • Supports different review depths and scenarios
  • Enables efficient, thorough reviews
  • Documents review expectations clearly

Alternatives Considered:

  • Single generic checklist (insufficient specificity)
  • No checklists (inconsistent reviews)
  • Tool-only reviews (lacks human judgment)
  • Overly detailed checklists (too time-consuming)

Consequences:

  • Requires initial setup and documentation
  • Checklists may need refinement based on experience
  • Provides foundation for consistent reviews
  • Enables comprehensive, efficient code reviews

Last updated: 2026-01-05 (v0.7.2.2+0 – Code review checklist templates created)