How to Install Ponytail for AI Coding Agents: Complete Setup Guide

To install Ponytail for AI coding agents, execute your platform's specific plugin command (such as /plugin install ponytail@ponytail for Claude Code) or manually copy the AGENTS.md file into your project root for agents without plugin support.

Ponytail is a lightweight plugin that injects a "lazy senior dev" rule set and six specialized slash commands into AI coding agents. Whether you use Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot CLI, or other platforms, this guide provides the exact commands and file paths needed to install Ponytail from the DietrichGebert/ponytail repository.

Prerequisites

Before installing Ponytail, ensure Node.js is available on your system PATH. The plugin relies on Node-based lifecycle hooks located in the hooks/ directory to inject rules into each LLM turn.

Platform-Specific Installation Steps

Installation commands vary by host agent. Most platforms support marketplace-based installation, while others require direct repository references or manual file copying.

Claude Code

For Claude Code, execute two separate prompts to add the marketplace entry and install the plugin:

/plugin marketplace add DietrichGebert/ponytail
/plugin install ponytail@ponytail

This registers the plugin and makes the six /ponytail commands available in your sessions.

OpenAI Codex and GitHub Copilot CLI

Both Codex and GitHub Copilot CLI use similar command structures. Run:

# For Codex

codex plugin marketplace add DietrichGebert/ponytail
codex plugin add ponytail@ponytail

# For GitHub Copilot CLI

copilot plugin marketplace add DietrichGebert/ponytail
copilot plugin install ponytail@ponytail

When invoked, commands appear as /ponytail:… in Copilot CLI.

Pi Agent

Pi agent pulls directly from GitHub:

pi install git:github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail

This clones the repository and registers the hooks and skills automatically.

OpenCode

Add the npm package to your opencode.json configuration:

{
  "plugin": ["@dietrichgebert/ponytail"]
}

Alternatively, point to a local checkout of the repository if developing locally.

Gemini CLI and Antigravity CLI

For Gemini CLI (or Antigravity CLI, formerly Gemini):

gemini extensions install https://github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail

Or using the Antigravity binary:

agy plugin install https://github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail

This registers the ruleset as always-on context.

Hermes Agent

Install and enable in one command:

hermes plugins install DietrichGebert/ponytail --enable

The --enable flag injects the active Ponytail mode before each LLM turn.

Swival

Stage the skills globally, then install locally:

swival skills add --global https://github.com/DietrichGebert/ponytail
swival skills add ponytail

Devin CLI

devin plugins install DietrichGebert/ponytail

Commands are namespaced as /ponytail:… when using Devin.

OpenClaw

Publish via ClawHub:

clawhub install ponytail

If not using ClawHub, manually copy the generated skill files from .openclaw/skills/ to your local skills directory.

Grok Build

grok plugin install ponytail

Note that the plugin is off by default; enable it to make /ponytail commands visible.

Qoder

Copy the rules file into your project:

cp .qoder/rules/ponytail.md your-project/.qoder/rules/

For automatic mode activation, also add the hooks from hooks/qoder-hooks.json.

Manual Installation Without Plugin Support

For agents that do not support plugins (such as CodeWhale), copy the AGENTS.md file from the repository root into your project directory. This file contains the human-readable instruction set that provides always-on rules without requiring lifecycle hooks.

The AGENTS.md file is also duplicated in agent-specific directories such as .cursor/rules/ and .windsurf/rules/ for specialized editor integrations.

Architecture and Key Files

Understanding the file structure helps with troubleshooting and custom configurations:

• hooks/ponytail-runtime.js – The core runtime hook that injects Ponytail rules into each LLM turn by listening to agent-specific events like onPluginLoad or prePrompt.
• hooks/ponytail-subagent.js – Handles sub-agent injection based on the PONYTAIL_SUBAGENT_MATCHER environment variable.
• skills/ponytail-review.js – Implements the /ponytail-review skill for diff reduction and code review.
• skills/ponytail-audit.js – Implements the /ponytail-audit skill for repository-wide audits.
• scripts/uninstall.js – Cleans up user-level configuration files such as ~/.config/ponytail/config.json.

Optional runtime settings can be configured in ~/.config/ponytail/config.json or via the PONYTAIL_DEFAULT_MODE environment variable.

Uninstalling Ponytail

To remove the plugin from Claude Code or similar platforms:

/plugin remove ponytail

Then run the cleanup script to remove configuration files:

node scripts/uninstall.js

This removes the status line entries and user-level config stored in ~/.config/ponytail/.

Summary

• Node.js is required on your PATH for all installation methods.
• Marketplace installation uses commands like /plugin marketplace add for Claude Code, Codex, and Copilot CLI.
• Direct installation works via pi install, gemini extensions install, or hermes plugins install depending on your agent.
• Manual setup requires copying AGENTS.md for agents like CodeWhale that lack plugin support.
• Six skills become available after installation: /ponytail, /ponytail-review, /ponytail-audit, /ponytail-debt, /ponytail-gain, and /ponytail-help.
• Cleanup is handled via scripts/uninstall.js after removing the plugin from your agent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need Node.js installed to use Ponytail?

Yes. According to the DietrichGebert/ponytail source code, the plugin uses Node-based lifecycle hooks stored in hooks/ponytail-runtime.js and other files under the hooks/ directory. These hooks require Node.js to be available on your system PATH to inject rules into each LLM turn.

Can I install Ponytail on agents that don't support plugins?

Yes. For agents without plugin support like CodeWhale, manually copy the AGENTS.md file from the repository into your project root. This provides the always-on rules without requiring the lifecycle hooks used by plugin-capable agents. Some agents also support agent-specific rule directories such as .cursor/rules/ or .windsurf/rules/.

How do I completely uninstall Ponytail from my system?

First, remove the plugin using your agent's command (e.g., /plugin remove ponytail for Claude Code). Then run node scripts/uninstall.js from the repository to clean up user-level configuration files including ~/.config/ponytail/config.json and status line entries. This ensures no residual configuration remains on your system.

What skills become available after installing Ponytail?

After installation, you gain access to six slash commands: /ponytail (main command), /ponytail-review (diff reduction), /ponytail-audit (repository-wide audit), /ponytail-debt (technical debt harvesting), /ponytail-gain (optimization identification), and /ponytail-help (assistance). These skills are defined in the skills/ directory with implementations like skills/ponytail-review.js handling the review transformations.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}