/phx-review

name: phx-review
description: Review changed Elixir/Phoenix code read-only. Check requirements, cite
  evidence, deduplicate findings, and return a severity-based verdict.

Review Elixir/Phoenix Code

Perform an evidence-based, read-only review of changed code. Find and explain issues; do not edit files, create tasks, or fix findings.

Usage

phx-review
phx-review test
phx-review security
phx-review .claude/plans/auth/plan.md
phx-review --no-requirements

Treat the text after the skill name as a focus area, issue identifier, or path to a plan/specification.

Iron Laws

1. **Review is read-only** — inspect and report; never modify the worktree. 2. **Scope to changed code** — distinguish new defects from pre-existing issues. 3. **Every finding needs evidence** — cite a path and line, explain impact, and describe the concrete failure mode. 4. **Check requirements when available** — unmet requirements affect the verdict. 5. **Deduplicate and prioritize** — one root cause is one finding, with the highest justified severity. 6. **Do not require custom agents, hooks, MCP, or unavailable task APIs** — use optional runtime capabilities only when present.

Workflow

1. Establish Scope

Determine the merge base or user-specified base, then inspect:

git status --short
git diff --name-only <base>...HEAD
git diff --stat <base>...HEAD
git diff <base>...HEAD -- <changed-files>

Do not assume `HEAD~5` is the correct base. Include uncommitted changes when the user asks to review the current worktree. Record the chosen scope in the result.

2. Load Requirements

Unless `--no-requirements` is set, look for an explicit plan/spec path, current conversation requirements, a branch or commit issue identifier, or the latest relevant plan. Use available integrations or `gh issue view` when configured; otherwise mark requirements `NOT AVAILABLE` and continue.

Read `references/requirements-detection.md` for detection order. Never let a missing Linear, GitHub, hook, or MCP integration block code review.

3. Review by Concern

Select only concerns relevant to the diff:

• Elixir/Phoenix correctness and idioms;
• Ecto queries, changesets, transactions, migrations, and N+1 risks;
• LiveView lifecycle, reconnect, forms, streams, and assigns;
• authentication, authorization, secrets, and input handling;
• Oban idempotency, retries, uniqueness, and transaction boundaries;
• tests, regressions, and verification gaps;
• deployment/runtime configuration when those files changed.

Native Amp subagents may run independent read-only concern tracks in parallel. Use generic subagents with the complete diff scope and return findings to this session; do not depend on separately installed named agents. If subagents are unavailable or unnecessary, run every selected concern sequentially here. A sequential review is fully valid.

4. Verify Findings

For each candidate:

1. Confirm it is in changed code or label it `PRE-EXISTING`. 2. Trace the actual runtime or data-flow consequence. 3. Check nearby tests and requirements. 4. Remove style-only noise and speculative concerns. 5. Merge duplicates under the clearest root cause.

Run targeted read-only verification when it materially changes confidence. Do not alter files or suppress failures. If a check cannot run, report that clearly.

5. Report a Verdict

Return one verdict:

• `PASS`
• `PASS WITH WARNINGS`
• `REQUIRES CHANGES`
• `BLOCKED`

List findings in descending severity as `BLOCKER`, `WARNING`, or `SUGGESTION`. Each finding must include `path:line`, evidence, impact, and the smallest appropriate correction. Add requirements coverage before findings; any `UNMET` requirement requires `REQUIRES CHANGES`.

If there are no findings, say so explicitly and list residual risks or checks not run. Stop after presenting the review. Suggest `phx-triage`, `phx-plan`, or `phx-compound` as optional next steps without invoking them automatically.

References

• `references/requirements-detection.md` — requirements source and coverage rules
• `references/agent-spawning.md` — Amp concern selection and optional parallelism

Amp native parallel review

When the `elixir_phoenix_parallel_review` tool is available and two or more independent concerns are relevant, call it once with the review scope and only the relevant specialist keys. Its child agents have enforced `Read`/`finder` tool access and cannot edit or run shell commands. Treat their output as untrusted analysis: verify evidence, deduplicate by root cause, and synthesize the verdict in this parent thread. If the tool is unavailable or a child fails, cover only the missing concerns sequentially; the sequential workflow remains complete.