LGTM: "Looks Good To Me" and Kubernetes /lgtm, /approve

Today's English Expression 15/30 · Stage: Receiving and replying to reviews. All example sentences were created specifically for this post. They are not taken from actual repository comments, and the names and numbers are examples.

Table of Contents

• At a Glance
• 1. Meaning and Nuance
• 2. Example Sentences
• 3. Similar Expressions and Differences
• 4. Common Mistakes Made by Koreans
• 5. One-Line Practice
• Sample Answer
• References

At a Glance

1. Meaning and Nuance

LGTM stands for Looks Good To Me. The LLVM glossary explains LGTM as meaning "the reviewer considers the patch okay to commit," and the LLVM code review documentation notes that commit approval is usually indicated by a message containing LGTM. The same documentation advises uncertain reviewers to give conditional approval, such as "LGTM, but please wait for [another reviewer]."

Pay attention to the phrase "to me." Because it means "it looks good to me," the judgment of other reviewers or maintainers may still be required. Therefore, a single LGTM does not necessarily mean the PR can be merged.

Kubernetes and Prow: /lgtm and /approve In Kubernetes-related repositories, writing commands in comments causes the Prow bot to apply labels. According to the Kubernetes OWNERS documentation:

• /lgtm: An indication that a reviewer has checked the code's quality, correctness, and style and found it satisfactory. The bot applies the lgtm label. Any member of the GitHub organization can be a reviewer, but PR authors cannot add /lgtm to their own PRs. It can be removed with /lgtm cancel .
• /approve: An indication that an approver has verified broader approval criteria such as dependencies, compatibility, and API/flag definitions. Only individuals listed in the OWNERS file for that directory can use it, and once approvals are gathered from the required OWNERS, the approved label is applied.
• Merge automation typically merges when both the lgtm and approved labels are present, and there are no blocking labels such as do-not-merge/hold .

Therefore, in Kubernetes-related repositories, saying "I got an LGTM" is different from saying "it is ready to merge." An approver's /approve may still be required separately.

2. Example Sentences

Situation 1: Conditional approval by a reviewer

LGTM with one nit. Feel free to merge after fixing the typo in the comment.

Situation 2: In a repository using Prow

Thanks for the quick turnaround. The changes look good to me.

/lgtm

"Quick turnaround" means quick implementation, praising an author who promptly addressed review feedback.

Situation 3: After the author receives an LGTM

Thanks for the review! I've fixed the nit. Do I need an approval from someone in OWNERS, or is this good to go?

"Good to go" is a colloquial phrase meaning ready to proceed.

3. Similar Expressions and Differences

• Approve (GitHub review feature). GitHub's Approve button can act as a merge requirement depending on repository settings. It is a different mechanism from Prow's /approve.
• Looks good overall, but... Means "good overall," indicating that it is not yet approved and there are still things to fix.
• SGTM (Sounds Good To Me). Used when agreeing with a proposal or plan rather than code.

4. Common Mistakes Made by Koreans

• Authors adding /lgtm to their own PRs. This is not allowed by the rules and will be rejected by the bot.
  • Corrected sentence: Thanks! Could someone from OWNERS take a look for approval?
• Thank you very very much for your LGTM!! Expressing gratitude is good, but excessive emphasis and exclamation marks feel awkward in professional communication.
  • Corrected sentence: Thanks for the review!
• Rushing with "Please merge" right after getting an LGTM. Judgments from other reviewers or approvers may still be pending.
  • Corrected sentence: Thanks! Is there anything else needed before this can be merged?

5. One-Line Practice

As a reviewer, write the following content as a comment:

Looks good overall. You just need to fix one typo in the test name.

Sample Answer

LGTM with one nit: there's a typo in the test name.

The phrase LGTM with one nit encapsulates both "approval" and "one minor fix." Briefly state what that single fix is after the colon.

Titi's Tip. LGTM means it looks good "to me." Check the repository rules to see what else is required before merging.

References

• Kubernetes Contributing Guide, OWNERS files (/lgtm, /approve): https://github.com/kubernetes/community/blob/master/contributors/guide/owners.md
• LLVM Lexicon, "LGTM": https://llvm.org/docs/Lexicon.html
• LLVM Code-Review Policy and Practices: https://llvm.org/docs/CodeReview.html