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Simplify Code Review

Reviews recent code changes for clarity, reuse, efficiency, and low-value tests or comments, then applies safe simplifications.

Source Download skill
Repository
EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin
Stars
25,850
Licence
MIT
Files
8 files

What it does

Once installed, the agent checks the code you have just written or changed and looks for ways to make it clearer, reuse existing helpers, run more efficiently, and drop tests and comments that add no value. It does this with several parallel reviewer subagents, each following a detailed rubric, then applies the worthwhile fixes while trying to keep behavior exactly the same. It does not work on bugs; a separate skill handles those.

Great for

  • Developers who want a cleanup pass on a feature branch before opening a pull request
  • Teams that want a consistent second look at code quality, duplication, and test value
  • Anyone auditing old tests or comments in a repository for dead weight

Skip it if

  • Fixing bugs or failing tests, since the skill explicitly defers those to ce-debug
  • Projects where any behavior change is risky and must be reviewed manually before editing, unless the agent is run in standalone mode that reports first
  • Non-code content such as documentation or lockfiles, which the preflight step skips

Try asking

  • “Simplify the code on my current branch before I open a pull request”
  • “Audit the tests in the payments folder and tell me which ones add no value”
  • “Review the comments in src/utils for outdated or redundant ones”
  • “Clean up the changes I just made, without changing behavior”
Step-by-step guide: how to use Simplify Code ReviewInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs

Install in 3 steps

  1. 1

    Download the skill

    The ZIP contains the 8 original files, the MIT licence and an attribution note.

    ce-simplify-code.zip
  2. 2

    Add it to your agent

    Claude Code (all projects)

    mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && unzip ce-simplify-code.zip -d ~/.claude/skills/

    Claude Code / Agent SDK (this project only)

    mkdir -p .claude/skills && unzip ce-simplify-code.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

  • Run it in standalone mode first and read the report before letting it apply fixes, especially on large scopes
  • Name a specific path or area to keep the scope narrow and avoid widening it
  • Pass any tests you specifically need to keep untouched so the skill protects them

What's inside

  • references/personas/code-quality-reviewer.md
  • references/personas/code-reuse-reviewer.md
  • references/personas/comment-reviewer.md
  • references/personas/efficiency-reviewer.md
  • references/personas/test-value-reviewer.md
  • references/reviewer-dispatch.md
  • references/standalone-report.md
  • SKILL.md

Redistributed unmodified from EveryInc/compound-engineering-plugin 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.