A bounded review of the actual diff produces fewer false positives than an open-ended repository critique.
The decision behind the technique
Review quality depends on knowing what changed, what behavior is expected and which risks matter. A branch, commit or unstaged diff is a reproducible target.
A bounded review of the actual diff produces fewer false positives than an open-ended repository critique.
A practical step-by-step workflow
Use this sequence as a default, then tighten or expand it only when the evidence changes.
- Select unstaged, staged, branch or commit scope
- Provide the intended behavior and review priorities
- Require file and line references
- Reproduce high-severity findings before changing code
Failure boundary and finish line
Do not ask the same agent to silently fix findings before you have seen what it found.
Finish when another person can reproduce the check against the exact final state.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first?+
Select unstaged, staged, branch or commit scope
What is the main failure mode?+
Do not ask the same agent to silently fix findings before you have seen what it found.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
Verify against the source
OpenAI code review guidanceThis guide provides general information, not an OpenAI allowance promise or support decision. Your account and official pages govern actual usage, benefits and recovery times.