Purpose

Ensure every Rails pull request meets quality standards before merging.

Author Checklist

Code Quality

• Code follows Rails conventions (naming, structure, routing).
• Controllers are thin — business logic is in models or service objects.
• No unnecessary N+1 queries. Includes are specified where needed.
• Database migrations are reversible and correctly ordered.
• No hard-coded values that should be configuration or constants.
• No commented-out code or debug logging.

Testing

• New behaviour is covered by tests.
• Model specs cover validations, associations and scopes.
• Request specs cover API endpoints and status codes.
• System specs cover critical user journeys (if applicable).
• Test suite passes locally.
• No flaky tests introduced.

Security

• User input is properly sanitized.
• Authentication and authorization are enforced.
• No sensitive data exposed in logs or responses.
• Mass assignment is protected (strong parameters used).

Documentation

• API changes are documented.
• Database schema changes are documented.
• README or relevant guides are updated if needed.
• CHANGELOG is updated if appropriate.

Migration Safety

• Migrations are reversible (down method or reversible block).
• Backfilling data is handled separately (not in migration).
• Zero-downtime deployment is considered for lock-heavy migrations.

Reviewer Checklist

• Design follows Rails conventions.
• Tests are meaningful and test behaviour, not implementation.
• Error handling is appropriate.
• Performance concerns are addressed.
• No unnecessary dependencies introduced.

Related Documents

• Rails Engineering Handbook
• Code Review Playbook
• Testing Rails Applications Guide
• Service Objects Guide