Database Review

A review skill for SQL queries, schema design, and database migrations.

What it covers

Indexing — missing indexes on foreign keys and WHERE clauses, composite index column order, unused indexes
Query patterns — N+1 queries, SELECT * avoidance, proper JOIN usage, subquery vs. CTE readability
Schema design — normalization levels, appropriate use of JSON columns, foreign key constraints
Migration safety — non-locking ALTER TABLE patterns, backfill strategies, rollback planning
Data integrity — NOT NULL constraints, check constraints, unique constraints on business keys

When to use

Run this on any PR that touches SQL migrations, ORM models, or raw queries. Critical before deploying schema changes to production databases with significant data volume.

SQL & Databases

Security(1)

Use Parameterized Queries

Performance(6)

Add Indexes for Frequent Queries

Quality(5)

Add Foreign Key Constraints

Architecture(1)

Normalize Data Appropriately

Automate SQL & Databases checks on every PR

Avoid N+1 queries (batch or join)

EXPLAIN/ANALYZE slow queries before optimizing

Use connection pooling

Avoid SELECT * in Production

Use keyset (cursor) pagination instead of large OFFSET

Wrap multi-step writes in transactions

Use the narrowest correct data types

Add NOT NULL and appropriate constraints

Manage schema changes with versioned migrations

Database Review

What it covers

When to use