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Ponytail Code Review

Reviews a code change for bugs, security, scale problems, missing tests and bloat, in plain English.

Source Download skill
Repository
DietrichGebert/ponytail
Stars
182,496
Licence
MIT
Files
1 file

What it does

When installed, the agent reviews a code change the way an experienced senior developer would before it ships. It reads the changed code, the code that calls it, the tests and the README, then lists problems in order of importance: bugs, security risks, problems under real load, missing tests, slowness and unnecessary code. Each finding explains what goes wrong, a suggested fix, and what happens if nothing is changed, written in simple language.

Great for

  • Developers who want a second pair of eyes on a diff or pull request before merging
  • Small teams without a dedicated reviewer who want a consistent checklist
  • Developers who want plain-English explanations of technical risks

Skip it if

  • Projects that need a formal security audit: the skill only reads the code it is given and cannot replace specialist review
  • Anyone expecting automatic fixes: the skill is written to list findings and change no code
  • Very large changes where the agent may not be able to read every caller, so some issues can be missed

Try asking

  • “Review my uncommitted changes before I commit them”
  • “Review this pull request link and tell me what must be fixed first”
  • “Check the files in src/payments for bugs and missing tests”
  • “What can I delete from the last commit?”
Step-by-step guide: how to use Ponytail Code ReviewInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the skill

    The ZIP contains the 1 original files, the MIT licence and an attribution note.

    ponytail-review.zip
  2. 2

    Add it to your agent

    Claude Code (all projects)

    mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip ponytail-review.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

    Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)

    mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip ponytail-review.zip -d .claude/skills/

    Claude apps (web/desktop): Settings → Capabilities → Skills → Upload skill, and choose the ZIP.

  3. 3

    Ask for the task

    No special command needed — the agent reads the skill's description and loads it when your request matches. Try one of the prompts above.

Get better results

  • Name exactly what to review, such as a branch, a PR link or specific files, so the agent reads the right diff.
  • Say how many users or processes the code will run for, so the scale checks match your real load.
  • Ask it to fix one numbered finding at a time, for example 'fix 2 and 5', to keep changes small and easy to test.

What's inside

  • SKILL.md

Redistributed unmodified from DietrichGebert/ponytail under the MIT licence. The assessment was drafted with AI from the skill's files on 2026-10-29. Skills can instruct your agent to run code — read SKILL.md and any scripts before installing.