Approve PRs while simultaneously leaving non-blocking comments, using Conventional Comments labels to signal intent and keep code moving.
Key Takeaways
Conventional Comments labels – nitpick:, suggestion:, question:, issue (non-blocking): – clarify intent at review time without requiring a follow-up round.
Approval-reset-on-commit and auto-merge repo configs can undermine this workflow; verify settings before adopting.
Linters, auto-formatters, type checkers, and security scanners in CI reduce trivial comments, keeping approvals signal-dense.
Finding a blocking issue at code review often signals upstream misalignment on startups and SMBs, not just a code problem.
The goal is a highly aligned team where most feedback is non-blocking, making comment-and-approve the default rather than the exception.
Hacker News Comment Review
The sharpest pushback is about review latency: the difference between a 2-hour and 23-hour turnaround is significant, and a second back-and-forth round compounds the cost.
Azure DevOps has a native “Approve with suggestions” state that mirrors this workflow, though whether comments get read post-approval is an open question.
Commenters agree the approach works well with experienced engineers and strong test coverage, but scales less reliably with junior engineers who may not act on unblocking comments.
Notable Comments
@singron: “there is a world of difference between getting a review within 2 hours and 23 hours” – frames review latency as the true hidden cost, not approval state.