Go Code Review Skill | Agent Skills

Go Code Review

Quick Reference

| Issue Type | Reference | |------------|-----------| | Missing error checks, wrapped errors | references/error-handling.md | | Race conditions, channel misuse | references/concurrency.md | | Interface pollution, naming | references/interfaces.md | | Resource leaks, defer misuse | references/common-mistakes.md |

Review Checklist

[ ] All errors are checked (no _ = err)
[ ] Errors wrapped with context (fmt.Errorf("...: %w", err))
[ ] Resources closed with defer immediately after creation
[ ] No goroutine leaks (channels closed, contexts canceled)
[ ] Interfaces defined by consumers, not producers
[ ] Interface names end in -er (Reader, Writer, Handler)
[ ] Exported names have doc comments
[ ] No naked returns in functions > 5 lines
[ ] Context passed as first parameter
[ ] Mutexes protect shared state, not methods

When to Load References

Reviewing error return patterns → error-handling.md
Reviewing goroutines/channels → concurrency.md
Reviewing type definitions → interfaces.md
General Go review → common-mistakes.md

Review Questions

Are all error returns checked and wrapped?
Are goroutines properly managed with context cancellation?
Are resources (files, connections) closed with defer?
Are interfaces minimal and defined where used?

Valid Patterns (Do NOT Flag)

These patterns are acceptable and should NOT be flagged as issues:

_ = err with reason comment - Intentionally ignored errors with explanation

_ = conn.Close() // Best effort cleanup, already handling primary error

Empty interface interface{} - For truly generic code (pre-generics codebases)
Naked returns in short functions - Acceptable in functions < 5 lines with named returns
Channel without close - When consumer stops via context cancellation, not channel close
Mutex protecting struct fields - Even if accessed only via methods, this is correct encapsulation
//nolint directives with reason - Acceptable when accompanied by explanation
```
//nolint:errcheck // Error logged but not returned per API contract
```
Defer in loop - When function scope cleanup is intentional (e.g., processing files in batches)
Functional options pattern - type Option func(*T) with With* constructors is idiomatic for configurable types
```
func NewServer(addr string, opts ...Option) *Server { ... }
```
sync.Pool for hot paths - Acceptable for reducing allocation pressure in performance-critical code
```
var bufPool = sync.Pool{New: func() any { return new(bytes.Buffer) }}
```

Context-Sensitive Rules

Only flag these issues when the specific conditions apply:

| Issue | Flag ONLY IF | |-------|--------------| | Missing error check | Error return is actionable (can retry, log, or propagate) | | Goroutine leak | No context cancellation path exists for the goroutine | | Missing defer | Resource isn't explicitly closed before next acquisition or return | | Interface pollution | Interface has > 1 method AND only one consumer exists |

Before Submitting Findings

Load and follow review-verification-protocol before reporting any issue.

Agent Skills: Go Code Review

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