# Chainsafe Code Review > Universal code-review framework at ChainSafe — language-agnostic principles plus the two reviewer modes (operator-reviewing-agent and agent-reviewing-PR). Use this skill whenever the user is reviewing a PR, asking for a code review, checking how to review, deciding what to flag vs fix, or handling a review disagreement. EVEN IF the user does not explicitly ask for "review" — triggers on "look at this PR", "check this diff", "what should I look for in this PR", "is this code OK", "how do I review", "approve this PR", "block this PR", "review disagreement", "review comments", "nit prefix", "should I flag this". For language-specific review (Go, Rust, TypeScript, Solidity), additionally load the corresponding language reviewer skill (chainsafe--reviewer). For PR authoring (outgoing), use chainsafe-pr-author. - Skill: `chainsafe/chainsafe-code-review` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add chainsafe/chainsafe-code-review` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/chainsafe/chainsafe-code-review/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: AI & ML - Author: chainsafe (https://skillmd.com/u/chainsafe) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/chainsafe/chainsafe-code-review --- # Code Review Universal review framework at ChainSafe. Two reviewer modes; language-specific surface lives in the language reviewer skills. Full reference: [`workflows/code-review.md`](../../workflows/code-review.md). ## Universal principles - **Approve when the change improves overall code health.** "Perfect" isn't the bar. Forward progress against current quality is. - **Technical facts and data overrule opinions and personal preferences.** If two designs are equally valid, respect the author's choice. - **Authority ladder:** style guide > current codebase conventions > author preference. - **Prefix nits.** Taste/preference/teaching comments get `nit:` prefix so author knows they can ignore. - **Note the good things.** Reviews skewed toward only-mistakes train authors to be defensive. ## What to look for - **Design.** Do the pieces fit? Readability beats DRY. - **Functionality.** Does the code do what was intended? Is the intent good for users + future developers? - **Complexity.** Especially over-engineering. Solve the problem you have now. - **Naming.** Long enough to communicate, short enough to read. - **Comments.** Explain *why*, not *what*. - **Every line.** Look at every assigned line. - **Context.** Sometimes pull the branch. - **Size.** Can you review this in one focused pass? A PR should close one bite-sized issue. ## Reviewing an oversized PR Check size first — it determines whether the rest of the review is real. - **Send it back before reviewing it.** "This closes three issues; please split" is a complete first review. - **Unless it carries a recorded approval** (`Oversized PR approved by @operator: `). Then review on the merits — and say so if the reason doesn't hold up. - **Check the exemptions are clean.** Renames, deletions, generated code, lockfile bumps may be large only if that's *all* they are. A logic change hiding in a 4,000-line regeneration is what this catches. - **Never approve a large PR you skimmed.** Say you don't have time instead. Blind approval is worse than a slow review. [Gate §10](../../operating-model/gates-and-escalation.md#10-oversized-or-multi-concern-changes); author's side in [`workflows/pr-authoring.md`](../../workflows/pr-authoring.md#when-a-pr-has-to-be-bigger). ## Speed of review Default service level: **review within one business day**. If you can't, say so and propose when you can. If author is blocked on critical path, drop other work for it. This applies to agent reviewers too — agents that "review eventually" defeat the purpose. ## Mode (a) — Operator reviewing agent output Most ChainSafe PRs in the v2 era have an agent in the author chair. What to verify: - **The plan matches the diff.** Drift between linked `plan.md` and the diff is the most common quiet failure. - **Fabrication.** Imports that don't exist, wrong-signature function calls, broken handbook page references. Verify. - **Silent scope creep.** Files in the diff not in the original plan — PR description should name each with a reason. - **Collapsed decomposition.** The plan named several issues; the agent shipped one PR. Every file authorized, but the slicing wasn't — the most common way an agent produces an unreviewable diff while staying in scope. Send it back to the plan. - **Over-eager refactor.** Each unrelated improvement is its own PR. - **Generic comments.** Cut comments that restate what the code does. - **Test theatre.** Tests asserting "function was called" rather than its effect. Read test bodies. - **Type laxity.** `any`, `unknown`, untyped returns, missing error handling. - **Undeclared operational contract.** Env vars, config, secrets, schema/migrations, ports, or a public signature changed without an Operational impact declaration — the change that becomes Infra's problem later (Engineering Invariant 8). ### When to demand re-plan vs accept vs reject - **Re-plan:** diff drifted from plan; agent made unapproved design choices; unrelated changes included; fabrication present; several planned issues collapsed into one PR. Go back to the plan; don't patch. - **Accept with notes:** minor issues that don't change the shape. - **Reject entirely:** wrong direction. Close PR; reopen with fresh plan. ### What the operator cannot delegate - The merge decision. - The judgment on whether HARD FAIL findings are properly addressed. - The sign-off that the audit trail is sufficient. ## Mode (b) — Agent reviewing a PR ### Checklist - Check size and scope first: one issue, one reviewable pass? Flag before spending effort on the contents. - Confirm an oversized PR carries a recorded operator approval; flag its absence as a gate §10 finding. - Run lint/type-check/test against the branch; report failures. - Diff against the linked plan or spec; flag deviations. - Apply the relevant language reviewer skill (chainsafe--reviewer). - Check PR-description completeness (what/why/acceptance/**operational impact**/AI declaration/scope flags); flag undeclared env-var / config / schema / public-signature changes. - Verify references are real. - Flag missing or thin commit messages. ### Flag vs fix in place - **Flag, don't fix:** design choices, complexity, naming, anything subjective. - **Suggest with code suggestion:** trivial nits (typos, lint, formatting). - **Never fix and push to author's branch** without explicit operator authorization. ### How to phrase comments - Lead with concern, not fix. - Cite the rule when there is one. - Use `nit:` for taste-level. - Avoid "you" framing for design comments. ### When the agent refuses to review Escalate rather than reviewing if: - HARD FAIL findings the agent can't evaluate (mismatched tool). - PR description missing — nothing to review against. - Diff touches code the agent has been told not to operate on. ## When reviews go wrong - **Stale review** (no response >3 business days): reviewer pings once; if no response, CODEOWNER unblocks. - **Heated thread:** take it off the PR. 5-minute call beats 30-comment argument. - **Design disagreement:** not the reviewer's call to overrule. Escalate to CODEOWNER or curator. - **Author pushes for merge despite open comments:** CODEOWNER decides. The reviewer isn't the merge gate alone. ## Related - Full reference: [`workflows/code-review.md`](../../workflows/code-review.md) - Decomposition: [`workflows/work-decomposition.md`](../../workflows/work-decomposition.md) — what a reviewable PR is cut from - Language reviewer skills: `chainsafe-go-reviewer`, `chainsafe-rust-reviewer`, `chainsafe-typescript-reviewer`, `chainsafe-solidity-reviewer` - Counterpart skill: `chainsafe-pr-author` - Invariants: [`invariants/agent-era-invariants.md`](../../invariants/agent-era-invariants.md) - HARD FAIL semantics: [`operating-model/gates-and-escalation.md`](../../operating-model/gates-and-escalation.md#8-reviewer-skill-hard-fail)