Score
8.5
/ 10
Installs
46K
Repo Stars
180.4K
Last Updated
0d ago
Quality Ratio
87%
Description
Verified
Language
JavaScript
First Published
Jun 2026
Summary
The Ponytail Help agent skill provides developers with an instant, one-shot reference card detailing all available Ponytail modes, associated skills, and their triggers and commands. This agent skill is essential for developers actively using the Ponytail suite to enforce lean coding practices, audit codebase quality, and manage technical debt. It is a skill with 4K installs, indicating a solid user base among those leveraging the broader Ponytail ecosystem. When triggered by commands such as `/ponytail-help` or "what ponytail commands", it displays a comprehensive overview of Ponytail's `Lite`, `Full`, and `Ultra` levels, clarifying how each mode impacts code generation and adherence to YAGNI principles. Furthermore, it lists specific skills like `ponytail-review` for identifying over-engineering and `ponytail-debt` for tracking shortcut comments, along with instructions for deactivation and configuring the default Ponytail mode.
Skill Definition
Display this reference card when invoked. One-shot, do NOT change mode, write flag files, or persist anything.
Levels
| Level | Trigger | What change |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | /ponytail lite | Build what was asked, name the smaller option in one line. |
| Full | /ponytail | The smallest complete change, a check where the logic needs one, and a reply that names what was skipped and any risk. Default. |
| Ultra | /ponytail ultra | Also questions the request and pushes back before building. |
Level sticks until changed or session end.
Skills
| Skill | Trigger | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| ponytail | /ponytail | Lazy mode itself: least new code, clear replies that name skipped work and risks. |
| ponytail-review | /ponytail-review | Quality review of a diff: bugs, security, load, missing tests, speed, what to cut. Each finding says what goes wrong and how to fix it. |
| ponytail-audit | /ponytail-audit | The same quality review for the whole repo, ranked. |
| ponytail-debt | /ponytail-debt | Harvest shortcut: comments into a tracked ledger. |
| ponytail-gain | /ponytail-gain | Measured-impact scoreboard: less code, less cost, more speed. |
| ponytail-help | /ponytail-help | This card. |
In Codex CLI and the IDE extension, invoke skills with $ponytail:ponytail,
$ponytail:ponytail-review, or $ponytail:ponytail-help. Claude Code and OpenCode use the
slash-command forms above (OpenCode ships all six as slash commands).
Deactivate
Say "stop ponytail" or "normal mode". Resume anytime with /ponytail.
/ponytail off also works.
Band (Claude Code)
/ponytail band hides the band above the prompt, the same command brings it back.
/ponytail band on and /ponytail band off set it directly. The level stays.
/ponytail band import adds your past Claude Code sessions (cost, agent time, tokens) to the board.
Configure Default Mode
Default mode = full, auto-active every session. Change it:
Environment variable (highest priority):
export PONYTAIL_DEFAULT_MODE=ultra
Config file (~/.config/ponytail/config.json, Windows: %APPDATA%\ponytail\config.json):
{ "defaultMode": "lite" }
Set "off" to disable auto-activation on session start, activate manually
with /ponytail when wanted.
Resolution: env var > config file > full.
Update
Enable auto-update once: open /plugin, go to Marketplaces, pick ponytail, Enable auto-update. Claude Code then pulls new versions at startup (run /reload-plugins when it prompts). Manual refresh: /plugin marketplace update ponytail then /reload-plugins.
If /plugin is not recognized, your Claude Code is out of date. Update it (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest, or brew upgrade claude-code) and restart. Other hosts use their own update flow.
More
Full docs + examples: https://github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail