ponytail-help
Coordinates MCP server usage. Use this to integrate and diagnose server tools.
Install
mkdir -p .claude/skills/ponytail-help && curl -L -o skill.zip "https://agentskills.codes/api/skills/download/18848" && unzip -o skill.zip -d .claude/skills/ponytail-help && rm skill.zipInstalls to .claude/skills/ponytail-help
Activation
This is the description your AI agent reads to decide when to run this skill — the better it matches your request, the more reliably it fires.
Quick-reference card for all ponytail modes, skills, and commands. One-shot display, not a persistent mode. Trigger: /ponytail-help, "ponytail help", "what ponytail commands", "how do I use ponytail".Key capabilities
- →Display reference card for ponytail modes (Lite, Full, Ultra)
- →Explain what each ponytail skill does (ponytail, ponytail-review, ponytail-audit, ponytail-debt, ponytail-gain, ponytail-help)
- →Provide instructions to deactivate ponytail mode
- →Explain how to configure default ponytail mode via environment variable or config file
- →Provide instructions to update ponytail
How it works
This skill displays a quick-reference card for all ponytail modes, skills, and commands without changing any persistent state.
Inputs & outputs
When to use ponytail-help
- →Configure MCP servers
- →Diagnose server tool availability
- →Run cross-server workflow
- →Analyze dependency structures
About this skill
Ponytail Help
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's asked, name the lazier alternative in one line. |
| Full | /ponytail | The ladder enforced: YAGNI → stdlib → native → one line → minimum. Default. |
| Ultra | /ponytail ultra | YAGNI extremist. Deletion before addition. Challenges requirements before building. |
Level sticks until changed or session end.
Skills
| Skill | Trigger | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| ponytail | /ponytail | Lazy mode itself. Simplest solution that works. |
| ponytail-review | /ponytail-review | Over-engineering review: L42: yagni: factory, one product. Inline. |
| ponytail-audit | /ponytail-audit | Whole-repo over-engineering audit: ranked list of what to delete. |
| ponytail-debt | /ponytail-debt | Harvest ponytail: 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. |
Codex uses @ponytail, @ponytail-review, and @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.
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
When not to use it
- →When the user asks to change mode
- →When the user asks to write flag files
- →When the user asks to persist anything
Limitations
- →Does not change ponytail mode
- →Does not write flag files
- →Does not persist any state
How it compares
This skill provides a consolidated reference for ponytail functionalities, allowing users to quickly understand and manage its modes and skills without needing to consult external documentation.
Compared to similar skills
ponytail-help side by side with the closest alternatives in the catalog.
| Skill | Installs | Updated | Safety | Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ponytail-help (this skill) | 0 | 14d | Review | Beginner |
| zendesk | 15 | 3mo | Review | Intermediate |
| zapier-workflows | 11 | 8mo | Review | Beginner |
| controlling-spotify | 7 | 3mo | Review | Intermediate |
Try saying
Example prompts that trigger this skill in your AI assistant.
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