---
name: Ponytail Audit
slug: ponytail-audit
category: Quality
description: Ponytail Audit scans a whole repository for over-engineering and ranks findings—dead code, standard-library or native replacements, YAGNI abstractions, and shrink opportunities—so you can decide what to delete or simplify. Use it when asked to audit a codebase, find bloat, or identify removable complexity.
github: "https://github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail/tree/main/skills/ponytail-audit"
language: JavaScript
stars: 101673
forks: 5587
install: "npx degit https://github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail/tree/main/skills/ponytail-audit ~/.claude/skills/ponytail-audit"
installs_to: ~/.claude/skills/ponytail-audit
source_path: skills/ponytail-audit/SKILL.md
collection_size: 13
category_size: 1354
collection_url: "https://dirskills.com/collections/DietrichGebert/ponytail"
added: 2026-08-13T07:35:44.017Z
last_synced: 2026-08-13T07:35:44.017Z
canonical_url: "https://dirskills.com/skills/ponytail-audit"
---

# Ponytail Audit

Ponytail Audit scans a whole repository for over-engineering and ranks findings—dead code, standard-library or native replacements, YAGNI abstractions, and shrink opportunities—so you can decide what to delete or simplify. Use it when asked to audit a codebase, find bloat, or identify removable complexity.

**Install:**

```bash
npx degit https://github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail/tree/main/skills/ponytail-audit ~/.claude/skills/ponytail-audit
```

## README

ponytail-review, repo-wide. Scan the whole tree instead of a diff. Rank
findings biggest cut first.

## Tags

Same as ponytail-review:

- `delete:` dead code, unused flexibility, speculative feature. Replacement: nothing.
- `stdlib:` hand-rolled thing the standard library ships. Name the function.
- `native:` dependency or code doing what the platform already does. Name the feature.
- `yagni:` abstraction with one implementation, config nobody sets, layer with one caller.
- `shrink:` same logic, fewer lines. Show the shorter form.

## Hunt

Deps the stdlib or platform already ships, single-implementation interfaces,
factories with one product, wrappers that only delegate, files exporting one
thing, dead flags and config, hand-rolled stdlib.

## Output

One line per finding, ranked: `<tag> <what to cut>. <replacement>. [path]`.
End with `net: -<N> lines, -<M> deps possible.` Nothing to cut: `Lean already. Ship.`

## Boundaries

Scope: over-engineering and complexity only. Correctness bugs, security holes,
and performance are explicitly out of scope. Route them to a normal review
pass. Lists findings, applies nothing. One-shot.
"stop ponytail-audit" or "normal mode" to revert.