Quality Gate
Dispatch the code-reviewer agent (agents/code-reviewer.md) to surface defects before they propagate.
Core principle: Inspect early, inspect often.
Prime Directive
NO LANDING WITHOUT REVIEW
No exceptions. No workarounds. No shortcuts.
The Entry Protocol
Before initiating a review, confirm:
- The test suite passes on the current branch
- All changes are committed (no dirty working tree)
- You have determined BASE_SHA and HEAD_SHA
- You can articulate what was built and why
- You know the plan or specification to review against
- You have scoped the review correctly (single task vs. batch)
If any condition is unmet, resolve it before requesting review.
When to Initiate
Required:
- After each task in delegated-execution workflows
- After completing a significant feature
- Before landing on the trunk branch
Discretionary but recommended:
- When stuck (an outside perspective often unblocks)
- Before starting a large refactor (establish a baseline)
- After resolving a tricky defect
How to Initiate
1. Capture the commit range:
BASE_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD~1) # or origin/main
HEAD_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD)2. Launch a code-reviewer subagent:
Dispatch the code-reviewer agent (agents/code-reviewer.md) using the Agent tool. Fill in the template at code-reviewer.md.
Template placeholders:
{WHAT_WAS_IMPLEMENTED}— What was just built{PLAN_OR_REQUIREMENTS}— What it should satisfy{BASE_SHA}— Starting commit{HEAD_SHA}— Ending commit{DESCRIPTION}— Brief narrative
3. Respond to findings:
- Resolve Critical findings immediately
- Resolve Important findings before advancing
- Log Minor findings for a future pass
- Object with evidence if the reviewer is mistaken
Walkthrough
[Just completed Task 3: Add data validation layer]
You: Initiating quality gate before proceeding.
BASE_SHA=$(git log --oneline | grep "Task 2" | head -1 | awk '{print $1}')
HEAD_SHA=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
[Launch code-reviewer agent (agents/code-reviewer.md)]
WHAT_WAS_IMPLEMENTED: Input validation and sanitization for all API endpoints
PLAN_OR_REQUIREMENTS: Task 3 from docs/plans/api-hardening-plan.md
BASE_SHA: c4e19a7
HEAD_SHA: 8b2f305
DESCRIPTION: Added validateRequest() and sanitizeInput() with 5 rule types
[Subagent returns]:
Strengths: Comprehensive rule coverage, solid test assertions
Issues:
Important: Missing rate-limit header on validation error responses
Minor: Hardcoded threshold (50) for payload size check
Assessment: Ready to proceed after addressing Important item
You: [Fix rate-limit header]
[Continue to Task 4]Cognitive Traps
| Rationalization | Truth |
|---|---|
| "It's a tiny change — no review needed" | Small diffs cause large outages. Review everything. |
| "I tested it exhaustively" | Testing and review catch fundamentally different classes of issues. |
| "Review will slow momentum" | Fixing production incidents slows momentum far more. |
| "The reviewer won't follow this code" | If a reviewer cannot follow it, neither will the next engineer. |
| "I'll batch review on the next PR" | Quality debt compounds. Review now or pay compounded interest later. |
Integration
godmode:delegated-execution:
- Review after EACH delegated task
- Surface defects before they cascade
- Resolve before starting the next task
godmode:task-runner:
- Review after each batch of tasks
- Collect feedback, apply corrections, continue
Ad-Hoc Development:
- Review before landing
- Review when blocked
Guardrails
Prohibited:
- Skipping review because "it's straightforward"
- Ignoring Critical findings
- Advancing with unresolved Important findings
- Dismissing valid technical feedback without evidence
- Landing changes with open Critical or Important items
Mandatory:
- Review after every task in delegated-execution
- Include BASE_SHA and HEAD_SHA in every review request
- Respond to Critical findings immediately
- Object with code or test evidence when disputing feedback
- Request clarification when feedback is vague
Process Diagram
START: Work finished
|
+-- Suite green? --NO--> Fix tests first
| |
| YES
| |
+-- Changes committed? --NO--> Commit changes
| |
| YES
| |
+-- Determine BASE_SHA and HEAD_SHA
| |
+-- Launch code-reviewer agent (agents/code-reviewer.md)
| |
+-- Wait for results
| |
+-- Critical items? --YES--> Fix now, re-review
| |
| NO
| |
+-- Important items? --YES--> Fix before advancing
| |
| NO
| |
+-- Log Minor items for later
| |
+-- ADVANCE to next taskSee reviewer template at: quality-gate/code-reviewer.md