---

name: pr-review-assist description: Prepare structured PR reviews using a three-phase framework (Context, Analysis, Validation). Use when reviewing pull requests, when user shares a PR URL, or mentions "review PR", "code review", or "check this PR". allowed-tools: Bash(gh: *) Read

PR Review Assist

Great code review isn't about catching bugs—it's about building confidence in what ships. Treat every PR as the beginning of a conversation.

Prerequisites

• gh CLI authenticated
• PR URL or repo/number (e.g., owner/repo#123)

For PR Authors

Before requesting review: self-review first, leave explanatory comments on non-obvious changes, split large PRs. Move to draft when addressing feedback.

Phase 1: Context Before Code

Establish strategic foundation before looking at diffs.

Copygh pr view <number> --json title,body,author,files,additions,deletions,baseRefName,headRefName,labels

Business Context

• Who initiated this and why now?
• Which users/systems does this impact?
• What problem does this solve?
• How does this align with priorities?

Technical Context

• What's the blast radius if this fails?
• Are there dependencies or sequencing needs?
• Does this require cross-team coordination?
• What validation environments exist?

Phase 2: Systematic Analysis

Scope & Structure

• Is the PR appropriately sized?
• Are changes cohesive or should this be split?
• Do file changes align with stated intent?

Quality Analysis

Related Context

Optionally search your local notes or documentation for related context:

Copy# Customize these paths to your own notes/docs directory
grep -r "<keywords>" "<your-notes-directory>/"

Phase 3: Validation

See review-checklist.md for detailed verification steps.

Mindset: Trust your team. Preferences (💅) don't block; only true blockers (🟡) that would break prod or harm users.

Actions:

• Approve: Ships safely
• Request Changes (🟡): Blockers only
• Comment (🙋): Need answers first

After: Respond to replies, react with emoji, link back in follow-ups.

Output

Copy## PR Review:  <title>

**PR**:  <url> | **Author**: @<author> | **Files**: <count>

### Context
[Why now, impact, blast radius]

### Analysis
[Approach assessment, observations with file: line refs]

### Recommendation
[Approve/Request Changes/Comment] — [rationale]

Example Usage

"Review this PR: https://github.com/org/repo/pull/123" "Help me review #1642"

Inspiration

• https://francisfuzz.com/posts/2025/06/02/how-i-approach-code-review/
• https://github.blog/developer-skills/github/how-to-review-code-effectively-a-github-staff-engineers-philosophy/