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How to Manage Code Ownership and Codeowners?
How to manage code ownership and codeowners?
Manage code ownership by documenting owners in CODEOWNERS files, tracking ownership in NoteVault, using ownership labels on tasks, ensuring ownership coverage for all code areas, and planning ownership transitions during team changes. Reviews should require owner approval for their code areas.
Ownership labels
| Label | Purpose |
|---|---|
| owner:team-api | API team owned |
| owner:team-frontend | Frontend team owned |
| owner:team-platform | Platform team owned |
| needs-owner | No current owner |
| ownership-transfer | Transferring ownership |
CODEOWNERS structure
# CODEOWNERS file
# Default owner for everything
* @engineering-team
# Frontend ownership
/src/components/ @frontend-team
/src/pages/ @frontend-team
/src/styles/ @frontend-team
# Backend ownership
/api/ @backend-team
/services/ @backend-team
# Infrastructure ownership
/terraform/ @platform-team
/.github/workflows/ @platform-team
/docker/ @platform-team
# Shared areas (require multiple approvers)
/package.json @frontend-team @backend-team
/tsconfig.json @frontend-team @backend-team
NoteVault ownership documentation
# Code Ownership Map
## Ownership Matrix
| Area | Primary Owner | Secondary | Last Updated |
|------|---------------|-----------|--------------|
| /src/components | @dev-a | @dev-b | 2025-01 |
| /src/pages | @dev-b | @dev-c | 2025-01 |
| /api | @dev-d | @dev-e | 2025-01 |
| /services | @dev-e | @dev-d | 2025-01 |
| /infrastructure | @dev-f | @dev-a | 2025-01 |
## Coverage Status
- Total code areas: 15
- With primary owner: 15 (100%)
- With secondary owner: 12 (80%)
- Gaps: 3 areas need secondary
## Ownership Responsibilities
1. Review all PRs touching owned code
2. Maintain documentation
3. Handle bugs in owned area
4. Train secondary owner
5. Plan transitions when leaving
## Transition Log
| Date | Area | From | To | Status |
|------|------|------|-----|--------|
| 2025-01 | /api | @dev-c | @dev-d | Complete |
| 2025-02 | /components | @dev-a | @dev-b | In progress |
Ownership transition template
## Ownership Transfer: [Code Area]
### Transfer Details
- Area: /src/components
- From: @outgoing-dev
- To: @incoming-dev
- Timeline: 2 sprints
### Knowledge Transfer
- [ ] Architecture walkthrough
- [ ] Critical code review
- [ ] Common issues discussion
- [ ] Pairing on changes
- [ ] Documentation review
### Documentation Updates
- [ ] CODEOWNERS updated
- [ ] NoteVault ownership map updated
- [ ] README files updated
- [ ] Architecture docs reviewed
### Verification
- [ ] New owner reviewed 3+ PRs independently
- [ ] New owner fixed 2+ bugs independently
- [ ] Old owner removed from CODEOWNERS
Ownership best practices
| Practice | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Primary + secondary | No single point of failure |
| Regular review | Catch gaps early |
| Document transitions | No sudden handoffs |
| CODEOWNERS in repo | Automated review requests |
| Ownership labels | Visible in task management |
Ownership task workflow:
- Identify area - Which code area affected?
- Check owner - Who owns this code?
- Assign/notify - Owner should review
- Request review - CODEOWNERS automatic
- Owner approves - Required for merge
- Track changes - Owner aware of changes