How to use Ponytail with Claude Code: setup, review and audit

What Ponytail changes in your AI agent's output

Ponytail tells the agent to write only what the task needs. The README says it never removes validation, error handling, security or accessibility. The code ends up smaller because the agent drops what is unnecessary, not because it is golfed.

The README's before and after example shows a date picker request. Without the skill the agent builds a calendar by hand. With the skill it first checks what the repo already has and reuses an existing input component with the browser's built-in date type.

• Fewer lines of code for the same task
• Reuses existing components and code where possible
• Keeps validation, error handling, security and accessibility
• Adds review and audit commands that check code for bugs

Get the Ponytail repository

The README's install step is to clone the repository from GitHub. Run the command in the folder where you keep your projects. The README excerpt used for this guide shows only this clone step, so read the full README in the cloned folder for any further setup the agent needs.

Check what you need before you start

Ponytail is written in JavaScript and released under the MIT licence. It is meant for developers who work with a coding agent. The commands assume that setup, so this is not a tool for people who do not use an agent.

The band feature needs a recent Claude Code release. The README gives the exact minimum version, so check it before you rely on the band. The band works in the terminal and the desktop app. It does not show in the VS Code chat panel, cloud sessions or claude -p.

• A coding agent such as Claude Code
• Git, to clone the repository
• A recent Claude Code release for the band feature

Run the review command

The /ponytail-review command reviews the code your change touches, not only the diff. According to the README it checks for bugs, security problems, real load, missing tests, speed, and code that can be cut. Each finding explains what the code does, what goes wrong, how to fix it, and what happens if you skip the fix.

• Start the review after your agent has made a change
• Read each finding's problem and fix before you accept it
• Use the finding's skip consequence to decide what to prioritise

Run the audit command on a whole repo

The /ponytail-audit command runs the same kind of checks across the whole repository. It first maps the code: entry points, how data moves, and the load the project expects. It then ranks the findings and says what to fix first, instead of only listing what to delete.

• Use it on an unfamiliar codebase to get a ranked fix list
• Compare the ranked list against your own priorities before you act

Use the band to track cost, time and tests

In Claude Code the band sits above the prompt. It shows what the current task costs, how many tokens and how much agent time it used, how often the agent reused existing code, and whether tests passed after the last change. Its buttons switch the level, run the review or audit, copy the task as Markdown, and collapse the band to one line.

To hide the band, run the band command. Running it again brings the band back. The Board view opens a local page listing tasks across your projects with cost, time, tokens and test results.

• /ponytail band hides the band and brings it back
• Board opens a local page with sessions and their tests