It’s not all about the programming language, but the human language as well.

Google’s proven engineering practices—bite‑sized changelists, collaborative feedback, and continuous improvements—help keep your code healthy and your team happy.

🚀 Why code reviews matter

Code reviews aren’t just busywork—they’re your team’s secret sauce for improving code health over time. By focusing on changes that “definitely improve overall code health,” reviewers help you move forward without getting bogged down in perfectionism. Whether you pair in person or leave comments in a CL tool, every bit of collaboration counts toward shared learning.

🧐 Tips for reviewers

🔍 Focus on the big stuff

• Design: Does this change fit smoothly into the system?
• Functionality: Does it do what it’s meant to, without unexpected side effects?
• Tests: Are there automated tests that would catch a regression if something breaks?
• Readability: Can another engineer skim the CL and understand it in seconds?

⏱️ Be quick, not rushed

Aim to respond to reviews within one business day to keep momentum going. If you’re in the middle of deep work, wait for a natural break—interruptions kill flow and slow down the team more than a brief delay in review.

💬 Keep it friendly

Celebrate wins: point out what’s working well to boost morale and reinforce good patterns. For minor style tweaks, prefix your note with “Nit:” so authors know it’s optional polish.

✍️ Tips for authors

📝 Write a solid CL description

Start with a short, imperative summary line, followed by a blank line. Then dive into the “why” and context—link bug IDs, benchmarks, or design docs, but summarize key points in case links break later.

📏 Keep CLs bite‑sized

Aim for around 100 lines or fewer so reviews stay focused and fast. If you need a big refactor or feature, split it into stacked, dependent CLs so each chunk is digestible.

🤝 Handle feedback like a pro

If a reviewer flags confusion, improve the code or add inline comments rather than replying “What?” in the tool. When you disagree, share your trade‑off analysis and ask clarifying questions to keep things constructive.

💖 The human element

Remember, code review is as much about people as it is about code. If conversations get tense, step away and discuss face‑to‑face or over video to clear the air. At the end of the day, it’s not about winning an argument—it’s about leaving the codebase (and each other) in a better place.

Want to dig into Google’s full take? Their engineering practices documentation is full of gems—and totally worth the read.