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skill CX Codex

simplify · seifbenayed — Claude Code skill for code cleanup and installation

simplify spots dead code, needless wrappers, and tangled conditionals, then proposes and applies simpler implementations. Use it when refactoring a project without adding architectural overhead.

Install into Claude Code · Skills CLI (Vercel) All methods and platforms ↓
npx skills add SeifBenayed/cloclo --skill simplify -a claude-code
Open on GitHub

What simplify does

The skill examines selected files or recent code changes for complexity that the current requirements do not justify. It looks for one-use helpers, layers that merely forward data, excessive checks, unused imports and variables, complicated branches, and comments that repeat what the code already says.

Its workflow moves from inspection to explanation, a proposed rewrite, and direct edits. When tests are available, it can run them to check whether the changes caused regressions. The guiding principle is to keep the implementation as simple as the current task allows rather than building for imagined future needs.

The skill uses Bash alongside file-reading, search, and editing tools. It supports Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, and OpenCode. Since it edits project files, review your Git working tree before running it; a cleanup pass can affect more than the function you had in mind.

What it helps with

  • Remove unused imports and variables
  • Replace one-off wrappers with direct code
  • Flatten deeply nested conditional branches
  • Trim defensive checks for impossible cases
  • Delete comments that merely restate implementation

Example prompts for the agent

  • Review my recent changes and simplify code that adds complexity without serving a current requirement.
  • Inspect the selected files for dead code and unnecessary abstractions, explain each finding, and apply the fixes.
  • Rewrite the nested conditionals more simply, show the changes, and run the available tests.

How to install simplify

1Skills CLI (Vercel)

npx skills add SeifBenayed/cloclo --skill simplify -a claude-code

2Manually: put the files in place

~/.claude/skills/simplify/SKILL.md

Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/simplify/

Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways

Questions about simplify

How do I install simplify in Claude Code?

Run npx skills add SeifBenayed/cloclo --skill simplify -a claude-code. The skill file is located at ~/.claude/skills/simplify/SKILL.md.

What does the simplify skill do?

It reviews code for dead sections, unnecessary layers, and hard-to-follow logic. It explains the issues, proposes a simpler implementation, edits the files, and can run available tests.

Which tools does simplify use?

It uses Bash, Read, Grep, Glob, Edit, and Write. These tools let it inspect project files, search for problematic code, and apply changes directly.

Source text

SKILL.md · MIT
---
name: simplify
description: Review code for unnecessary complexity and simplify it. Use when the user wants to clean up code, reduce complexity, remove dead code, or make code more readable.
allowed-tools: Bash, Read, Grep, Glob, Edit, Write
---

# Code Simplification

Review the specified code (or recent changes) for unnecessary complexity and simplify it.

## What to look for

1. **Over-abstraction** — helpers, utilities, or wrapper functions used only once. Inline them.
2. **Unnecessary indirection** — callback chains, event buses, or service layers that just pass data through.
3. **Defensive overkill** — error handling for impossible cases, null checks deep inside trusted internal code.
4. **Dead code** — unused imports, unreachable branches, commented-out blocks, unused variables.
5. **Complex conditionals** — nested if/else that could be early returns, switch statements that could be lookups.
6. **Premature generalization** — config objects for one use case, plugin systems with one plugin, factory patterns for one type.
7. **Redundant comments** — comments that restate the code instead of explaining why.

## Principles

- Three similar lines of code are better than a premature abstraction
- Delete code rather than add it when possible
- If removing something breaks nothing, it shouldn't have been there
- The right amount of complexity is the minimum needed for the current requirements
- Don't design for hypothetical future requirements

## Process

1. Read the target files
2. For each issue found, explain what's overly complex and why it can be simplified
3. Show the simplified version
4. Apply the fix
5. Verify the changes don't break anything (run tests if available)

$ARGUMENTS

© SeifBenayed · MIT · SeifBenayed/cloclo

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