# Ponytail Help

> 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".

Source: https://skillsagentes.com/skills/dietrichgebert/ponytail/ponytail-help
Repository: https://github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail
Author: dietrichgebert
License: MIT
Updated: el mes pasado
Context cost: 50 tok installed, 699 tok once triggered, 699 tok with every bundled file
Bundle: 1 file, 3 KB
Permissions requested: none declared

## Install

```bash
npx -y skills add DietrichGebert/ponytail --skill ponytail-help --agent claude-code
```

## What it does

- Muestra una tarjeta de referencia rápida de una sola vez con los niveles (lite/full/ultra), los seis skills de ponytail y sus triggers.
- Documenta cómo desactivar el modo ("stop ponytail" / "normal mode" / "/ponytail off") y cómo fijar el modo por defecto vía la variable PONYTAIL_DEFAULT_MODE o el archivo ~/.config/ponytail/config.json.
- Explica cómo actualizar el plugin en Claude Code (`/plugin`, marketplace, `/reload-plugins`).

## Use it when

- Consultar qué comandos o modos tiene ponytail.
- Preguntar cómo usar o configurar ponytail.

## What triggers it

- "/ponytail-help"
- "qué comandos tiene ponytail"
- "cómo configuro el modo por defecto de ponytail"

## Before you install

- Ninguno: despliegue de una sola vez, no cambia modo ni persiste nada.

## Files

- SKILL.md — 3 KB

## SKILL.md

Reproduced verbatim from DietrichGebert/ponytail under MIT. This section is the upstream document and is in English.

# 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):
```bash
export PONYTAIL_DEFAULT_MODE=ultra
```

**Config file** (`~/.config/ponytail/config.json`, Windows: `%APPDATA%\ponytail\config.json`):
```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

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Skills Agentes — https://skillsagentes.com/skills/dietrichgebert/ponytail/ponytail-help