How to Streamline Code Reviews with Gemini CLI's code-reviewer Skill
Code reviews are essential to the development process, but inconsistent review quality and overlooked issues remain common challenges. A systematic framework for evaluation helps maintain consistent standards.
This article explains how to streamline code reviews using Gemini CLI's code-reviewer skill for both local changes and Pull Requests.
What This Skill Does
code-reviewer handles code reviews for both local changes and remote Pull Requests:
- Reviews local changes (staged and unstaged)
- Checks out and reviews remote PRs via GitHub CLI (gh)
- Analyzes across 7 pillars: correctness, maintainability, readability, efficiency, security, edge cases, testability
- Provides structured feedback (Critical/Improvements/Nitpicks)
Suited for developers maintaining consistent review quality and teams preventing review gaps.
Installation
Prerequisites
- Gemini CLI installed
- GitHub CLI (gh) installed (for remote PR reviews)
Install Command
gemini skills install github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli/tree/main/.gemini/skills/code-reviewer
Usage
Reviewing Local Changes
Review my changes
The skill checks git status and git diff, then analyzes across all 7 pillars.
Reviewing Remote PRs
Review PR #123
The skill runs gh pr checkout 123, executes preflight commands, then starts the review.
Feedback Structure
Review results follow this format:
- Summary - High-level overview
- Critical - Bugs, security issues, breaking changes
- Improvements - Code quality and performance suggestions
- Nitpicks - Formatting and minor style issues
- Conclusion - Approved / Request Changes
Important Considerations
Preflight Command Assumed
Remote PR reviews run npm run preflight. If your project doesn't define this script, it may cause errors.
GitHub CLI Required for Remote PRs
The gh command is needed for PR checkout. For local-only reviews, GitHub CLI is not required.
Branch Switching After Review
After remote PR reviews, the skill asks if you want to switch back to the default branch (main/master).
Summary
code-reviewer enables systematic code reviews across 7 analysis pillars for both local changes and remote PRs. Feedback is categorized by severity (Critical/Improvements/Nitpicks) for clear prioritization.
For full specifications, visit the skill detail page.