Ponytail
DavidObando/gsharp
Forces the laziest solution that actually works, simplest, shortest, most minimal.
Dead code and dependency cleanup, repo-wide: unused deps, unreferenced exports, unreachable code, orphaned files — removed only with tool evidence, in reversible waves.
Install Absolute Prune
$ npx skills add maddhruv/absolute --skill absolute-prune -a claude-codeProject install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.
$ gh skill install maddhruv/absolute absolute-prune --agent claude-codeProject scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/absolute-prune .claude/skills/absolute-prune && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.
Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/
Install the "absolute-prune" agent skill from https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute/tree/main/skills/absolute-prune into .claude/skills/absolute-prune/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "absolute-prune", then confirm the skill loads.Claude Code copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$skill-installer install https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute/tree/main/skills/absolute-pruneType this inside Codex. $skill-installer <name> installs a curated skill from openai/skills. The installer writes to $CODEX_HOME/skills (default ~/.codex/skills). Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
$ npx skills add maddhruv/absolute --skill absolute-prune -a codexProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.codex/skills/.
$ gh skill install maddhruv/absolute absolute-prune --agent codexProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute.git skills-src && mkdir -p .agents/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/absolute-prune .agents/skills/absolute-prune && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.agents/skills/ instead of .agents/skills for a personal install.
Codex skills documentation · loads skills from .agents/skills/
Install the "absolute-prune" agent skill from https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute/tree/main/skills/absolute-prune into .agents/skills/absolute-prune/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "absolute-prune", then confirm the skill loads.Codex copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add maddhruv/absolute --skill absolute-prune -a cursorProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.cursor/skills/.
$ gh skill install maddhruv/absolute absolute-prune --agent cursorProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute.git skills-src && mkdir -p .cursor/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/absolute-prune .cursor/skills/absolute-prune && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.cursor/skills/ instead of .cursor/skills for a personal install.
Cursor skills documentation · loads skills from .cursor/skills/, .agents/skills/, .claude/skills/, .codex/skills/
Install the "absolute-prune" agent skill from https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute/tree/main/skills/absolute-prune into .cursor/skills/absolute-prune/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "absolute-prune", then confirm the skill loads.Cursor copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gemini skills install https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute.git --path skills/absolute-prune--scope user (default) or --scope workspace; --path is the subfolder of the repo that holds the skill; --consent skips the security confirmation prompt.
$ npx skills add maddhruv/absolute --skill absolute-prune -a gemini-cliProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.gemini/skills/.
$ gh skill install maddhruv/absolute absolute-prune --agent gemini-cliProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute.git skills-src && mkdir -p .gemini/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/absolute-prune .gemini/skills/absolute-prune && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.gemini/skills/ instead of .gemini/skills for a personal install, then run /skills reload.
Gemini CLI skills documentation · loads skills from .gemini/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "absolute-prune" agent skill from https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute/tree/main/skills/absolute-prune into .gemini/skills/absolute-prune/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "absolute-prune", then confirm the skill loads.Gemini CLI copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ gh skill install maddhruv/absolute absolute-pruneInstalls for Copilot at project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Preview a skill first with gh skill preview. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).
$ npx skills add maddhruv/absolute --skill absolute-prune -a github-copilotProject install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.copilot/skills/.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute.git skills-src && mkdir -p .github/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/absolute-prune .github/skills/absolute-prune && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.copilot/skills/ instead of .github/skills for a personal install. Commit .github/skills so cloud agent and code review can use it.
GitHub Copilot skills documentation · loads skills from .github/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "absolute-prune" agent skill from https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute/tree/main/skills/absolute-prune into .github/skills/absolute-prune/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "absolute-prune", then confirm the skill loads.GitHub Copilot copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
$ npx skills add maddhruv/absolute --skill absolute-prune -a opencodeOpenCode documents no install command of its own. Project install goes to .agents/skills/; add -g for ~/.config/opencode/skills/.
$ gh skill install maddhruv/absolute absolute-prune --agent opencodeProject scope by default (.agents/skills/); add --scope user for a personal install.
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute.git skills-src && mkdir -p .opencode/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/absolute-prune .opencode/skills/absolute-prune && rm -rf skills-srcUse ~/.config/opencode/skills/ instead of .opencode/skills for a personal install.
OpenCode skills documentation · loads skills from .opencode/skills/, .claude/skills/, .agents/skills/
Install the "absolute-prune" agent skill from https://github.com/maddhruv/absolute/tree/main/skills/absolute-prune into .opencode/skills/absolute-prune/ in this project. Copy the whole folder (SKILL.md and every file beside it), keep the folder name "absolute-prune", then confirm the skill loads.OpenCode copies the folder itself, the same result as the manual copy. Check what it changed before you commit it.
Facts
- Skill name
absolute-prune- GitHub stars
- 218
- Used in
- 1 other repo
- Token cost
- ~1.2k tokens
- SKILL.md length
- 531 words
- Files
- 3 (incl. references)
- Skills in repo
- 10
- Repo updated
- First seen
- Licence
- MIT
At a glance
Dead code and dependency cleanup, repo-wide: unused deps, unreferenced exports, unreachable code, orphaned files — removed only with tool evidence, in reversible waves.
- Works in 5 steps: Trusting the tool blindly. Dynamic… → Removing public API. A library's… → Deleting generated or vendored files.… → …
- Remove dead code
- SKILL.md covers Absolute Prune, When to use, What it scans and Risk ranking (TRIAGE), plus 3 more sections
- Calls go and eslint
What it does
Absolute Prune is an agent skill from maddhruv/absolute. Dead code and dependency cleanup, repo-wide: unused deps, unreferenced exports, unreachable code, orphaned files — removed only with tool evidence, in reversible waves. Runs on green main. For diff-scoped cleanup use absolute-simplify. Triggers on "absolute prune", "remove dead code", "find unused deps/exports", "what can we delete", "clean up orphaned files".
Its SKILL.md is about 1.2k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 3 other files, including reference files (for example `README.md` and `references/health-engine.md`).
It sits in Development, covering Code simplification. The repository describes itself as: Absolute Skills to 10x your Development Lifecycle. The licence is MIT.
When your agent uses it
- Remove dead code
- Find unused deps/exports
- What can we delete
- Clean up orphaned files
Example prompts
- “absolute prune”
- “remove dead code”
- “find unused deps/exports”
- “/absolute-prune”
Requirements
- Python 3
Workflow steps
5 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.
- Trusting the tool blindly. Dynamic imports, DI containers, reflection, and string-keyed
- Removing public API. A library's unused-internally export may be its whole point. Check
- Deleting generated or vendored files. They look orphaned but are rebuilt/checked-in on purpose.
- Big-bang prune. Deleting everything flagged in one commit makes regressions un-bisectable.
- Scope creep into refactor. prune removes dead things; it does not restructure live code.
What it can do on your machine
Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 2166274. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.
Tool permissions
Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.
From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.
Runs code
Shell commands in SKILL.md call:
goeslint
From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.
Network
No URLs in SKILL.md.
From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.
Credentials
Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.
From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.
Context cost
Absolute Prune loads about 1.2k tokens when it runs, and up to ~2.5k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 94 tokens; SKILL.md has 531 words of instructions outside code blocks.
Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.
Safety
Auto-check passed
The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.
Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.
SKILL.md
The full file from maddhruv/absolute at commit 2166274, republished under its MIT licence (© maddhruv). 531 words, ~1,177 tokens.
Download SKILL.mdSave it as
.claude/skills/absolute-prune/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 2 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.- name
- absolute-prune
- description
- Dead code and dependency cleanup, repo-wide: unused deps, unreferenced exports, unreachable code, orphaned files — removed only with tool evidence, in reversible waves. Runs on green main. For diff-scoped cleanup use absolute-simplify. Triggers on "absolute prune", "remove dead code", "find unused deps/exports", "what can we delete", "clean up orphaned files".
- version
- 0.5.0
- category
- workflow
- tags
- workflow, maintenance, dead-code, cleanup, pruning
- platforms
- claude-code, gemini-cli, openai-codex, mcp
- user-invocable
- true
- argument-hint
- [target]
- license
- MIT
Start your first response with the ✂️ emoji.
Absolute Prune
Cut dead growth from the repo: unused dependencies, unreferenced exports, unreachable code, orphaned files. Evidence-based — every removal is backed by a tool that proves nothing references it — applied in safe waves with tests green after each.
Runs the shared engine in references/health-engine.md — read it for the
DETECT → SCAN → TRIAGE → FIX → VERIFY → REPORT loop and the safety contract. This file
covers only what's specific to pruning.
When to use
- "Remove dead code", "clean up unused deps", "what can we delete?".
- Bundle/install bloat from packages nothing imports anymore.
- Post-refactor orphans: files and exports left behind after a feature was rerouted.
prune vs simplify: simplify polishes your working git diff. prune sweeps the
whole committed repo for things that are dead repo-wide. Use simplify mid-change;
prune as standing cleanup on green main.
What it scans
Dead dependencies — declared but never imported (and missing deps that are imported but undeclared):
| Ecosystem | Tool |
|---|---|
| JS/TS | depcheck or knip (knip also covers exports/files) |
| Python | deptry |
| Go | go mod tidy (diff), unused module detection |
Dead code — unreferenced exports, unreachable branches, orphaned files:
| Ecosystem | Tool |
|---|---|
| JS/TS | knip (exports/files), ts-prune, eslint no-unused-vars |
| Python | vulture, ruff unused rules |
| Go | deadcode ./..., staticcheck (U1000) |
Prefer tools already in the project. Treat results as candidates — verify each isn't reached via dynamic import, reflection, DI, public API, or a config string before removing.
Risk ranking (TRIAGE)
| Wave | Removal | Default |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | unused devDeps, unreferenced local exports/functions | fix now — lowest risk |
| 2 | unused runtime deps, orphaned internal files | fix this pass after confirming no dynamic ref |
| 3 | anything reachable via public API, plugin system, dynamic require, reflection, or config | gated / usually defer — high false-positive risk |
Static tools miss dynamic references. Anything in wave 3, or anything a tool flags but you can't prove is dead, gets confirmed with the user or deferred — never auto-removed.
Show full SKILL.md (225 more words)Show less
Fix & verify
- Remove in small, reversible waves. One category per wave (e.g. "unused devDeps", then "orphaned files").
- After each wave: full test + build + typecheck. A green typecheck/build is the proof the removed symbol truly had no references. If anything goes red, the symbol wasn't dead — revert and reclassify.
- Removing a dep: drop it from the manifest, regenerate the lockfile, rebuild.
- Don't delete: generated files, vendored code, public-API surface, or anything load-bearing
for a config/plugin you can't trace. Report those as "suspected dead, needs human call".
Treat
preferences.health.protectedPathsfrom config as never-delete globs — anything matching is out of scope even if a tool flags it.
Gotchas
- Trusting the tool blindly. Dynamic imports, DI containers, reflection, and string-keyed lookups defeat static analysis. Confirm before deleting.
- Removing public API. A library's unused-internally export may be its whole point. Check
the package entry points /
exportsmap. - Deleting generated or vendored files. They look orphaned but are rebuilt/checked-in on purpose.
- Big-bang prune. Deleting everything flagged in one commit makes regressions un-bisectable. Wave it.
- Scope creep into refactor.
pruneremoves dead things; it does not restructure live code. Restructuring →simplifyorwork.
Companion commands
/absolute simplify— for restructuring/clarity of live code in your diff./absolute upgrade— pairs well: prune unused deps, then upgrade what remains./absolute debt— pruning often clears a batch of lint/unused-var warnings too.
© maddhruv, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file
Files
SKILL.md and 2 other files (references) in skills/absolute-prune of maddhruv/absolute.
- SKILL.md
- README.md
- references/health-engine.md
Open the folder on GitHubat commit 2166274
Used in 1 other repository
We found 1 copy of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 1 other GitHub owner. This page covers the copy in maddhruv/absolute, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.
Compare with similar skills
Absolute Prune next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.
| Skill | Stars | Used in | Tokens | Auto-check | Licence | Repo updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Prune this skillmaddhruv/absolute | 218 | 1 repos | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| PonytailDavidObando/gsharp | 565 | 8 repos | ~1.7k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Ponytail Reviewkortix-ai/suna | 20k | 4 repos | ~593 | Automated safety check: Pass | Custom licence | |
| Ponytail Lazy Developer ModeDietrichGebert/ponytail | 158k | — | ~871 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Code Simplification for ego-litecitrolabs/ego-lite | 17k | — | ~1.2k | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT | |
| Refactor Pass for Simplicitystar-history/star-history | 9.6k | 1 repos | ~168 | Automated safety check: Pass | MIT |
Similar skills
Ponytail Review
kortix-ai/suna
Code review focused exclusively on over-engineering. An agent skill from kortix-ai/suna.
Ponytail Lazy Developer Mode
DietrichGebert/ponytail
Makes the agent pick the laziest solution that works: skip unneeded work, reuse what exists, prefer the standard library and platform features, and keep diffs small.
Code Simplification for ego-lite
citrolabs/ego-lite
Finds and implements evidence-backed simplifications in the ego-lite repository, such as dead code, duplicated state and speculative abstractions, without hiding behavior changes.
Refactor Pass for Simplicity
star-history/star-history
Perform a refactor pass focused on simplicity after recent changes. Use when the user asks for a refactor/cleanup pass, simplification, or dead-code removal…
Over-Engineering Review
DietrichGebert/ponytail
Reviews a diff only for unnecessary complexity and lists what to delete or shrink, one numbered line per finding with the location, the cut and its replacement.
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Related
Categories
Questions about Absolute Prune
What does Absolute Prune do?
Dead code and dependency cleanup, repo-wide: unused deps, unreferenced exports, unreachable code, orphaned files — removed only with tool evidence, in reversible waves. Absolute Prune is an agent skill from maddhruv/absolute. Dead code and dependency cleanup, repo-wide: unused deps, unreferenced exports, unreachable code, orphaned files — removed only with tool evidence, in reversible waves.
When should I use Absolute Prune?
Absolute Prune fits situations like: remove dead code; find unused deps/exports; what can we delete; clean up orphaned files.
How do I install Absolute Prune in Claude Code?
Run `npx skills add maddhruv/absolute --skill absolute-prune -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/absolute-prune in maddhruv/absolute) into .claude/skills/absolute-prune in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.
How do I install Absolute Prune in Codex?
Run `npx skills add maddhruv/absolute --skill absolute-prune -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/absolute-prune in maddhruv/absolute) into .agents/skills/absolute-prune in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.
Can I use Absolute Prune in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?
Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add maddhruv/absolute --skill absolute-prune -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/absolute-prune, .gemini/skills/absolute-prune, .github/skills/absolute-prune and .opencode/skills/absolute-prune in your project.
What does Absolute Prune need to run?
Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Absolute Prune needs the command-line tools its instructions call (go and eslint). Our summary lists: Python 3.
Does Absolute Prune access the network?
SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.
Is Absolute Prune safe to install?
Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.
What licence does Absolute Prune use?
Absolute Prune is published under the MIT licence (declared in SKILL.md). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.
How many tokens does Absolute Prune use?
About 1.2k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 4.7k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 1.4k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.
What are the alternatives to Absolute Prune?
Skills that share tags, products or a category with Absolute Prune: Ponytail (DavidObando/gsharp, 565 stars), Ponytail Review (kortix-ai/suna, 20k stars), Ponytail Lazy Developer Mode (DietrichGebert/ponytail, 158k stars) and Code Simplification for ego-lite (citrolabs/ego-lite, 17k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.
Who maintains Absolute Prune?
maddhruv (a GitHub user) maintains it in maddhruv/absolute, which has 218 GitHub stars. The repository holds 10 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on July 6, 2026.
Source: maddhruv/absolute on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.