Ponytail Debt
List every `shortcut:` comment (and older `ponytail:` ones) as a debt ledger. One-shot report, changes nothing. Use for "ponytail debt", "what did ponytail defer", "list the shortcuts", /ponytail-debt.
Install
/plugin marketplace add DietrichGebert/ponytailThe repo is a Claude Code plugin marketplace. Run /plugin afterwards to pick the plugin that includes this skill.
npx skills add DietrichGebert/ponytail --skill ponytail-debtgit clone --depth 1 https://github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail.git /tmp/ponytail
mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/ponytail/skills/ponytail-debt ~/.claude/skills/ponytail-debtPersonal skills live in ~/.claude/skills. Use .claude/skills in a project folder to share a skill with your team.
From the SKILL.md
Every deliberate ponytail shortcut is marked with a `shortcut:` comment naming its ceiling and upgrade path (older code may say `ponytail:`). This collects them into one ledger so a deferral can't quietly become permanent. ## Scan Grep the repo for comment markers, skipping `.git` and everything the `.gitignore` files ignore (dependencies, build output, caches, in any stack): `git grep --no-index --exclude-standard -nE '(#|//|/[*]) ?(shortcut|ponytail):'` (add other comment prefixes if your stack uses them) If the user names their own marker word (`/ponytail-debt TODO`), grep for that word instead. Each hit is one ledger row. The comment prefix keeps prose that merely mentions the convention out of the ledger. Skip hits that are not a deferral, like a note about a keyboard shortcut. ## Output One row per marker, grouped by file: `<file>:<line>, <what was simplified>. ceiling: <the limit named>. upgrade: <the trigger to revisit>.` The convention is `shortcut: <ceiling>, <upgrade path>`, so pull the ceiling and the trigger straight from the comment. Want an owner per row too? add `git blame -L<line>,<line>`. Flag the rot risk: any marker comment that names no upgrade path or trigger gets a `no-trigger` tag, those are the ones that silently rot. End with `<N> markers, <M> with no trigger.` Nothing found: `No shortcut debt. Clean ledger.` ## Boundaries Reads and reports only, changes nothing. To persist it, ask and it writes the
Details
- Skill name
ponytail-debt- Repository
- DietrichGebert/ponytail
- Path
skills/ponytail-debt/SKILL.md- License
- MIT
- Repo updated
- 29 October 2026
FAQ
What does the Ponytail Debt skill do?
List every `shortcut:` comment (and older `ponytail:` ones) as a debt ledger. One-shot report, changes nothing. Use for "ponytail debt", "what did ponytail defer", "list the shortcuts", /ponytail-debt.
How do I install the Ponytail Debt skill?
Claude Code plugin: /plugin marketplace add DietrichGebert/ponytail. Skills go in ~/.claude/skills (personal) or .claude/skills (project), and Claude loads them automatically when a task matches the description.
Is Ponytail Debt popular?
It lives in DietrichGebert/ponytail, which has 181,225 GitHub stars and 9,958 forks.
Related skills
Ponytail
181kDietrichGebert/ponytail
Lazy senior dev mode for any coding task: the smallest change that fully solves it, and a reply a busy human understands in one read.
Ponytail
181kDietrichGebert/ponytail
Lazy senior dev mode: the smallest change that fully solves the task, and a reply a busy human understands in one read. Use on any coding task (writing, fixing, refactoring, reviewing, choosing dependencies) and when the user says "ponytail", "be lazy", "simplest solution", "yagni", or complains about over-engineering or bloat. Levels: lite, full (default), ultra.
Ponytail Audit
181kDietrichGebert/ponytail
Quality audit of the whole repo: bugs, security, real load, missing tests, speed, and what to delete. Most important first.
Ponytail Help
181kDietrichGebert/ponytail
Quick reference for ponytail's modes, skills, and commands. One-shot display.
Ponytail Debt
181kDietrichGebert/ponytail
Harvest every shortcut: comment into one debt ledger, so deferrals get tracked instead of forgotten. One-shot report.
Ponytail Help
181kDietrichGebert/ponytail
Quick reference for ponytail levels, skills and commands. One-shot display. Use for /ponytail-help, "ponytail help", "how do I use ponytail".
Browse the most popular Claude skills, all other skills, or write your own with the skills generator.