Mar 19, 2026
"Nit" (short for "nitpick") is a code review convention used to flag minor, non-blocking feedback. When a reviewer writes nit: before a comment on a PR, they're saying "this is a small stylistic or cosmetic issue — not something I'd block the merge over." Common examples include typos in comments, naming preferences, whitespace, or a slightly clearer variable name.
It's a handy norm because it lets reviewers point out small improvements without making the author feel like they need to fix every comment before merging. Some teams formalize this with prefixes like nit:, suggestion:, question:, and blocking: to make review intent clear.
I like the concept of the nit. It's feedback that shouldn't block shipping, but it's something I want you to know about. Don't lose sleep over it — I'm glad you sent this out. Just something to consider for next time.