The Developer's Guide to Giving & Receiving Code Reviews

In many software teams, code reviews have evolved from a quality control measure into an unintentional source of friction. What should be a collaborative learning opportunity often becomes a battleground of nitpicking and defensive responses. However it doesnt have to be this way. We have all been there. You haave spent days crafting that perfect feature. Every line of code feels like a small masterpiece. You finally push your changes and create the pull request, feeling proud of your work. Then it happens:

your_pride = {
    "hours_spent": 12,
    "confidence_level": "high",
    "lines_of_code": 200
}

code_review = {
    "comments": 47,
    "nitpicks": 23,
    "self_esteem_remaining": 0
}

That sinking feeling as the comments start rolling in. Your beautiful creation suddenly feels like a kindergarten drawing being critiqued by Picasso. Every comment seems like a personal attack, and you are fighting the urge to respond with “BUT IT WORKS!” that sounds familiar to most of us?

The truth is, receiving code reviews is an art that nobody teaches us. We learn to code, we learn to design, we learn to debug but nobody shows us how to handle feedback without feeling like our soul is being crushed by a mechanical keyboard. The good news is, you are not alone. And it is not your fault. It is a two sided issue for the reviewer and the reviewee. Before we dive into the art of receiving code reviews, let’s first look at the art of giving code reviews, and why do we give code reviews in the way we do.

The Hidden Costs of Toxic Code Reviews

When code reviews go wrong, they can severely impact team as whole and productivity. Engineers spend countless hours debating minor stylistic choices while larger architectural discussions get lost in the noise. Junior developers, fearing harsh criticism, hesitate to contribute, while senior developers engage in lengthy ego-driven debates. The most damaging aspect is how toxic code reviews gradually erode team morale. When developers dread pushing their code, innovation slows, and the fear of criticism leads to analysis paralysis. This creates a culture where perfection becomes the enemy of progress, and shipping valuable features to users takes a back seat to endless refinements.

Part 1: The Art of Giving Code Reviews

Let’s look at some real world examples of how code reviews can either build or break team spirit.

Example 1: The Style Nitpick

function calculateTotalPrice(items) {
  let total = 0;
  items.forEach(item => {
    total += item.price * item.quantity
  });
  return total;
}

items.reduce((sum, item) => sum + item.price * item.quantity, 0)

Example 2: The Security Wake-Up Call

const loginUser = async (email, password) => {
    const user = await db.users.findOne({ email: email });
    if (user && user.password === password) {
        return { success: true, user: user };
    }
    return { success: false };
}

const loginUser = async (email, password) => {
    const user = await db.users.findOne({ email });
    if (!user) {
        return { success: false };
    }
    
    const passwordMatch = await bcrypt.compare(password, user.passwordHash);
    if (!passwordMatch) {
        return { success: false };
    }
    
    const token = generateJWT(user);
    return { success: true, token };
}

Example 3: The Performance Discussion

const getActiveUsers = async () => {
    const users = await database.fetchAllUsers();
    return users.filter(user => user.isActive);
}

const getActiveUsers = async () => {
    return database.fetchUsers({ isActive: true });
}

The Art of Constructive Reviews

Effective code reviews should strengthen team bonds and improve code quality simultaneously. Here’s how to transform your review process:

Focus on Impact, Not Style

Rather than fixating on code formatting or stylistic preferences, reviewers should prioritize changes that meaningfully impact maintainability, performance, or user experience. While consistency matters, automated tools can handle most styling concerns, freeing human reviewers to focus on architectural decisions and business logic.

Replace Comments with Conversations

When you spot a potential improvement, resist the urge to leave a detached comment. Instead, engage the author in a dialogue. A quick video call or chat can resolve in minutes what might otherwise spawn dozens of comment threads. This personal interaction builds relationships and ensures both parties fully understand each other’s perspective.

Embrace Teaching Moments

Code reviews present perfect opportunities for knowledge sharing. When suggesting changes, explain the reasoning behind them. Share relevant articles, patterns, or past experiences that informed your feedback. This transforms potential criticism into valuable learning experiences.

Celebrate Good Patterns

Too often, reviews focus exclusively on what needs fixing. Make a conscious effort to highlight well-structured code, clever solutions, and improvements from previous iterations. This positive reinforcement encourages good practices and boosts morale.

Create Psychological Safety

Teams perform best when members feel safe taking risks and making mistakes. Establish a code review culture where questions are welcomed, experimentation is encouraged, and errors are treated as learning opportunities rather than failures.

TLDR, remember:

• Start with appreciation for the work done.
• Provide concrete examples, not just criticism.
• Offer to pair program on complex changes.
• Make it a learning opportunity.
• Focus on the code, not the coder.
• Be specific about improvements.
• Always end with an invitation to discuss.

Great code reviews arent just about finding problems, they are about building better developers and stronger teams.

Part 2: The Art of Receiving Code Reviews

Example 1: Architectural Feedback

Example 2: Performance Concerns

 const processUsers = async () => {
     const users = await db.fetchAllUsers();
     for (const user of users) {
         send_email(user.email)
     }
 }      

Example 3: Security Feedback

 app.post('/api/data', (req, res) => {
     processUserData(req.body);
 });     

Example 4: Code Style Feedback

Guidelines for Receiving Code Reviews

1. Embrace the Learning Opportunity

Remember that every piece of feedback is a chance to:

• Learn new patterns and practices
• Understand different perspectives
• Improve your coding skills
• Build stronger relationships with teammates

2. Separate Code from Self

• Your code is not you
• Feedback on code is not personal criticism
• Everyone’s code can be improved, regardless of experience level

3. Ask Questions, Not Arguments

Instead of:

"That's not necessary here..."

Try:

"Could you help me understand the specific advantages of this approach?"

4. Share Your Context

Instead of:

"This already works fine."

Try:

"I chose this approach because [reason]. Would the alternative still address 
[specific constraint] effectively?"

5. Propose Alternatives Collaboratively

Instead of:

"I don't want to do it that way."

Try:

"What if we tried [alternative approach]? It might help with [benefit] while 
still maintaining [original goal]."

6. Express Gratitude

• Thank reviewers for their time and insights.
• Acknowledge good catches and helpful suggestions.
• Show appreciation for detailed explanations.

I’ll help craft additions to incorporate those important points about blocking time for PR reviews and discussing them in standups. These would fit well in the “The Art of Constructive Reviews” section. Here’s how we could add these points:

Block Time for Reviews

Reviews deserve dedicated focus time, just like any other engineering task. Rather than treating them as interruptions, schedule specific blocks in your day for review work. we’ve all been guilty of treating code reviews as that thing we do when we get around to it. You know, checking GitHub between meetings or giving quick approvals while scarfing down lunch. But here’s the thing: rushed reviews help nobody. Consider blocking 30-60 minutes daily, ideally at a time when you’re mentally fresh and can give thoughtful feedback. Just as you wouldn’t want someone to review your code while distracted, give others’ code the focused attention it deserves. When you dedicate proper time to reviews, something magical happens. You start catching those subtle bugs that would’ve slipped through during a rushed review. You can actually think about the bigger picture instead of just spotting typos. And bonus: your teammates get their code reviewed faster because you’re not letting PRs pile up.

But this needs the team mindset to be leveled up to be able to do this.

Celebrate Review Contributions

Code reviews are a crucial part of the development process and should be recognized as such. During standups, dont just talk about what you are coding be proud to share your review contributions, your code reviews deserve just as much spotlight. Instead of the usual “Oh, and I did some reviews,” try this: “Hey team, spent a solid chunk of yesterday reviewing Ali’s profile page implementation. We caught this sneaky race condition that could’ve caused crashes if we tap on logout. Pretty glad we spotted that one!”

See the difference? You are not just ticking off a box you are highlighting the real value good reviews bring to the team. Also, it encourages everyone else to take their review responsibilities seriously too.

Bottom Line

• The goal is better code, not winning arguments.
• Everyone on the team wants the product to succeed.
• Different perspectives lead to more robust solutions.
• Today’s feedback makes tomorrow’s code better.

The most successful developers are those who remain open to feedback while constructively advocating for their ideas. This balance creates an environment where everyone grows together and the best solutions emerge through collaboration.