Review wait
Also known as Review waiting time, Time to first review
Definition
Review wait is the queue portion of a change's review interval. It excludes the time spent actively reviewing when those boundaries can be identified.
The wait before feedback
Review wait begins when a change is eligible for review and ends when a reviewer starts meaningful assessment. It is different from total review time, which may include reading, comments, revisions, and approvals. Separating the two points at the queue rather than at the reviewer.
A concrete example
An illustrative pull request becomes reviewable at 10 a.m. Monday and receives its first substantive review at 3 p.m. Tuesday. Its review wait is about one working day plus overnight time, depending on the team's time convention. The total review interval may continue for several more days.
Find the cause
Break wait down by repository, owner, change size, time zone, and specialist requirement. A WIP limit can reduce a flood of simultaneous requests. Clear ownership can help when queue depth is modest but age is high.
Limitations
The first comment is not always meaningful review. Automated checks can also create false start events. Define the event carefully and verify samples before building a target.
How this relates to Weave
Weave can help teams investigate the timestamps and change context around review waiting. Use that evidence to test ownership or WIP policies, while keeping reviewer judgment and security controls intact.
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