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Code Review Guidelines

Document template for Google Docs and Word

Make a copy in Google Docs
Type
Document
Price
Free
Pages
8 · US Letter
Style
Minimal
Difficulty
Beginner
Updated
October 30, 2026

Every page (8)

Overview

Reviews slow down when pull requests are huge, reviewers argue about style and nobody knows who decides a tie. This template sets one standard for engineering teams: principles, an author checklist, a reviewer checklist and owners, a turnaround pipeline, comment etiquette and approval rules.

The sample shows Junipera Labs with pull requests under 400 changed lines, a first review within 4 working hours, merge within 24 and 70 to 85% coverage on changed code. Replace the principles, targets, owners, sample comments and escalation path with your team's own.

Useful for

  • A team lead writing review rules before the engineering team grows past ten people
  • An engineering manager cutting review wait time with clear size, turnaround and tie-break rules
  • A new hire learning what to check before opening a pull request and how to word feedback

What's included

  • Title block with three principles, key figures and the case for small changes
  • Author checklist as a two-column article with a pull quote
  • Reviewer checklist with a people list and a RACI matrix of who reviews and who decides
  • Turnaround pipeline diagram from draft pull request to merge queue
  • Comment etiquette opener and approval rules with blocking conditions
  • Sign-off page and a make-it-yours guide for replacing the sample content

How to use it

  1. 1

    Click Make a copy in Google Docs, then confirm on the Google page. The copy is saved to your own Google Drive.

  2. 2

    Replace the principles with the three your team will hold each other to, and set your own size and turnaround targets.

  3. 3

    Trim the author and reviewer checklists to items your CI does not already enforce, and swap in real before-and-after comments from your team.

  4. 4

    Name the owners, the people who can break a tie and how to escalate, then add the targets to your pull request template.

  5. 5

    Delete the guide page, then share the guidelines with the whole engineering team.

What you need

Requirements

  • A Google account with access to Google Drive

Works with

  • Google Docs
  • Microsoft Word (download the .docx)

Questions

What is a good pull request size?

Aim for under 400 changed lines and ideally under 200. Larger changes get split before review so a reviewer can finish in under 60 minutes.

Who settles a disagreement between author and reviewer?

Name one tie-breaker, such as a staff engineer or code owner, and set a deadline. The sample escalates to the engineering manager if the tie-breaker cannot resolve it.

Are the company, people and figures real?

No. Junipera Labs, the people, phone numbers and every figure are fictional sample data. Replace all of them with your own team's details.

  • #code-review
  • #pull-request
  • #review-checklist
  • #engineering-standards
  • #developer-workflows
  • #comment-etiquette
  • #google-docs

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