Look up ponytail’s three operating levels, related skills, and commands in one reference card. Find how to activate or stop it, set the default mode, and update it in supported environments.
Quick reference for ponytail levels, skills and commands. One-shot display. Use for /ponytail-help, "ponytail help", "how do I use ponytail".
ponytail-help displays a reference card for using ponytail. It covers the differences between lite, full, and ultra, along with related skills for reviewing changes, auditing an entire repository, collecting deferred work, and measuring impact. It also shows how to call those skills and where to find instructions for activation, deactivation, default mode settings, and updates.
Use it just after installation to understand how the parts fit together, or whenever you forget a command. It also helps you choose an operating level for your current task and find how to change automatic activation at the start of a session.
This skill only displays reference information once. It does not change modes or save settings. Use $ponytail:ponytail-help in Codex CLI and the IDE extension, and /ponytail-help in Claude Code and OpenCode. Update steps depend on the environment you use.
This overview was written by AI (OpenAI Codex) from the public SKILL.md. Check the original below for the exact behavior.
AI rated this skill on four points using only the contents of its SKILL.md. Stars and popularity are not taken into account.
The total counts each point as A = 25, B = 15, C = 5. Rated by AI (OpenAI Codex) as of Oct 20, 2026. Treat it as a guide and read the original before installing.
Review the instructions the agent will receive before you install.
Display this reference card when invoked. One-shot, do NOT change mode, write flag files, or persist anything.
| 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.
| 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).
Say "stop ponytail" or "normal mode". Resume anytime with /ponytail.
/ponytail off also works.
/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.
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.
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.
Full docs + examples: https://github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail
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Guide coding tasks toward the smallest complete change by checking affected code, reusing existing features, and avoiding unnecessary additions. It also calls for relevant checks and concise explanations of what changed, what remains unchecked, and any risks.
Guide coding tasks toward the smallest complete change by reusing existing code, platform features, and installed dependencies. Address affected callers and necessary checks, then explain skipped work, unchecked areas, and risks in a brief reply.
Audit an entire code repository or a selected folder for bugs, security risks, load problems, missing tests, slow paths, and excess code. Get up to 20 prioritized findings explaining concrete problems, minimal fixes, and consequences.
Review a codebase for bugs, security risks, failures under expected load, missing tests, slow paths, and unnecessary code. Receive prioritized findings with concrete failure cases, small proposed fixes, and the consequences of leaving each issue unresolved.
Collect comments marking deferred improvements into a ledger grouped by file. Record what was simplified, its stated limit, and when to revisit it, while flagging entries that lack a trigger for future action.
Collect comments marking deliberate coding shortcuts into a file-by-file debt ledger. The report shows each shortcut’s stated limit and revisit trigger, flags missing triggers, and leaves the code unchanged.