Prune Test Suite
Removes redundant or vacuous tests while keeping useful regression coverage.
Install
npx skills add paperclipai/paperclip --skill test-audit -g -a claude-code -y- Repository
- paperclipai/paperclip110k
- Category
- Testing
- Updated
- 3d ago
- License
- MIT
- Context cost
- Lightabout 980 tokens
- Runs scripts
- No, instructions only
What it does
Garden the test suite by finding and removing redundant, vacuous, or implementation-coupled tests while preserving useful regression coverage. Use for test audits, test pruning, duplicate coverage, or reducing CI test cost. Supports focused cleanups and coordinated audit campaigns.
Test Audit
Reduce execution and maintenance cost while preserving meaningful failure detection. Investigate aggressively; delete only with evidence. Retaining an area after review is a valid result. This skill is self-contained; upstream attribution is in NOTICE.md.
Choose the scope
- Focused cleanup: follow this entry point and read the candidate evidence guide before editing.
- Multiple owners, agents, or PRs: also read CAMPAIGN.md. Declare whether the work is a targeted sweep or an exhaustive subsystem audit.
- Validation and cost claims: read references/validation.md.
- Paperclip commands, invariants, and delivery: read references/paperclip.md alongside repository instructions.
Decision gate
For every proposed removal, answer:
- Which observable contract and plausible regression do the assertions cover?
- Which retained file/case detects that regression through the responsible production code? Otherwise, why is the assertion vacuous or contract retired?
- Does this candidate uniquely cover a transport, permission, lifecycle, storage boundary, platform, default, or other independent failure mode?
- What improves: executions, fixtures, processes, maintenance, or runtime?
Prefer the smallest test that reaches the code responsible for the contract. A broader suite is not automatically stronger proof. Similarity, size, slowness, or suspected AI authorship alone never justify deletion.
Prevent new duplication
Apply this gate to tests added or changed during gardening:
