How do I install the Refactor Assist skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add modbender/refactor-assist in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

What does the Refactor Assist skill do?

Get refactoring suggestions with colored diffs. Use when improving code quality. It is listed under Coding & Dev Tools on SkillMD.

Is Refactor Assist safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: PASS, Skill Scanner: PASS. Capability flags: executes scripts, makes network calls. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Refactor Assist?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Refactor Assist free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Refactor Assist?

modbender (@modbender) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Refactor Assist by modbender — Agent Skill

Name: Refactor Assist
Rating: 4.2 (5 reviews)
Author: modbender

File contents

Refactor Assistant

Code review yourself before anyone else does. Point this at a file and get specific refactoring suggestions with diffs.

One command. Zero config. Just works.

Quick Start

npx ai-refactor src/utils.ts

What It Does

Analyzes code for improvement opportunities
Shows colored diffs for suggested changes
Focuses on readability and patterns
Can apply changes automatically

Usage Examples

# See suggestions
npx ai-refactor src/utils.ts

# Apply changes directly
npx ai-refactor src/utils.ts --apply

# Focus on specific area
npx ai-refactor src/api.ts --focus "error handling"

Best Practices

Review before applying - verify suggestions make sense
Commit first - have a clean state to diff against
Focus on one thing - don't refactor everything at once
Run tests after - make sure nothing broke

When to Use This

Code review prep
Cleaning up old code
Learning better patterns
Technical debt sprints

Part of the LXGIC Dev Toolkit

This is one of 110+ free developer tools built by LXGIC Studios. No paywalls, no sign-ups, no API keys on free tiers. Just tools that work.

Find more:

GitHub: https://github.com/LXGIC-Studios
Twitter: https://x.com/lxgicstudios
Substack: https://lxgicstudios.substack.com
Website: https://lxgic.dev

Requirements

No install needed. Just run with npx. Node.js 18+ recommended. Needs OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable.

npx ai-refactor --help

How It Works

Reads your file, sends it to GPT-4o-mini for analysis, and shows refactoring suggestions as diffs. Looks at readability, duplication, modern patterns, performance, and type safety.

License

MIT. Free forever. Use it however you want.

---name: refactor-assistdescription: Get refactoring suggestions with colored diffs. Use when improving code quality.--- # Refactor Assistant Code review yourself before anyone else does. Point this at a file and get specific refactoring suggestions with diffs. **One command. Zero config. Just works.** ## Quick Start ```bash npx ai-refactor src/utils.ts ``` ## What It Does - Analyzes code for improvement opportunities - Shows colored diffs for suggested changes - Focuses on readability and patterns - Can apply changes automatically ## Usage Examples ```bash # See suggestions npx ai-refactor src/utils.ts # Apply changes directly npx ai-refactor src/utils.ts --apply # Focus on specific area npx ai-refactor src/api.ts --focus "error handling" ``` ## Best Practices - **Review before applying** - verify suggestions make sense - **Commit first** - have a clean state to diff against - **Focus on one thing** - don't refactor everything at once - **Run tests after** - make sure nothing broke ## When to Use This - Code review prep - Cleaning up old code - Learning better patterns - Technical debt sprints ## Part of the LXGIC Dev Toolkit This is one of 110+ free developer tools built by LXGIC Studios. No paywalls, no sign-ups, no API keys on free tiers. Just tools that work. **Find more:** - GitHub: https://github.com/LXGIC-Studios - Twitter: https://x.com/lxgicstudios - Substack: https://lxgicstudios.substack.com - Website: https://lxgic.dev ## Requirements No install needed. Just run with npx. Node.js 18+ recommended. Needs OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable. ```bash npx ai-refactor --help ``` ## How It Works Reads your file, sends it to GPT-4o-mini for analysis, and shows refactoring suggestions as diffs. Looks at readability, duplication, modern patterns, performance, and type safety. ## License MIT. Free forever. Use it however you want.

Frequently asked questions

Refactor Assist