What are the best strategies for prioritizing code review workloads?

1 Use a code review checklist

A code review checklist is a tool that helps you focus on the most important aspects of the code, such as functionality, readability, security, performance, and style. A checklist can also help you avoid common pitfalls, such as nitpicking, bikeshedding, or missing the big picture. You can use a standard checklist, such as the one from Google, or create your own based on your team's preferences and standards. A code review checklist can help you save time, increase consistency, and reduce errors.

2 Apply the 80/20 rule

The 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto principle, states that 80% of the results come from 20% of the efforts. You can apply this rule to your code review workload by identifying the 20% of the pull requests that have the most impact on the project, such as those that introduce new features, fix critical bugs, or affect core functionality. You should prioritize these pull requests and review them thoroughly, while spending less time on the remaining 80% that have less impact, such as those that make minor changes, refactor code, or add documentation.

3 Use automation tools

Automation tools can help you streamline your code review process by performing some tasks that are tedious, repetitive, or prone to human error. For example, you can use tools like linting, formatting, testing, and code analysis to check the code for syntax errors, style violations, bugs, vulnerabilities, and other issues. You can also use tools like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI/CD, or Jenkins to automate workflows and notifications for code review. Automation tools can help you reduce your code review workload, improve your code quality, and speed up your feedback cycle.

4 Communicate with the author

Communication is key for effective code review, as it helps you understand the context and intention of the code, clarify any questions or doubts, and provide constructive feedback. You should communicate with the author of the pull request before, during, and after the code review, using tools like comments, chats, or video calls. You should also communicate your expectations, priorities, and availability for code review, and ask the author to do the same. Communication can help you avoid misunderstandings, conflicts, and delays in your code review process.

5 Review in small batches

Reviewing in small batches means reviewing a few pull requests at a time, rather than trying to review them all at once. Reviewing in small batches can help you avoid cognitive overload, maintain your attention and concentration, and provide better feedback. You can review in small batches by setting a time limit, a number limit, or a size limit for your code review sessions. You can also review in small batches by using tools like GitHub's draft pull requests, GitLab's merge request approvals, or Codecov's patch status checks to mark the pull requests that are ready for review.