Start with the question you need to answer
A review can begin with different questions: what changed in one commit, how a branch differs from its base, or which files have been touched in your working tree. Pick the Git view that matches that question. A single-commit patch is useful for a focused change; a branch comparison gives the wider feature context.
Inspect a single commit
Git show can display a commit and its patch. For the latest commit, “git show HEAD” is a quick way to review its changes. Replace HEAD with another commit reference when investigating older work. Git’s documentation describes additional options for showing patches and controlling diff output.
Compare changes at the right boundary
When reviewing a feature branch, identify the intended base before comparing it. A diff against the wrong branch point can include unrelated commits or hide changes that matter. Check the branch history and agree on whether you are comparing a merge base, a commit, or the current working tree.
Keep review evidence attached to the change
Record what you inspected and which tests you ran in the pull request or review notes. This gives collaborators a reproducible trail and makes it easier to revisit the change later. Git Commit Summary can be used as a compact first pass over a piped commit diff.
References & further reading
References are provided for context. Links to these resources do not imply endorsement or guarantee search rankings.