Find dead code and safe things to delete

This prompt finds code nobody uses anymore and tells you how confident it is that each piece is safe to remove. It also warns about hidden users, such as dynamic imports or templates, before you delete anything.

text-code-dead-code-cleanup — claude — 77 words

Act as a senior engineer tidying up a codebase.

Language and framework: [e.g. TypeScript, Next.js]
Code:
[PASTE THE FILES OR MODULE]

Find unused functions, variables, imports, exports, feature flags that are always on or off, commented-out blocks and duplicate logic. For each, say how confident you are that it is safe to remove and what could still use it (dynamic imports, reflection, other services, templates). Group the result into safe to delete now, check first, and keep.

Edit in the builder Copy & open Claude ↗Copy & open ChatGPT ↗Copy & open Claude Code ↗

Remove things in small commits and run the tests after each one, so a mistake is easy to undo.

Get a better result

What you will get

A grouped list of unused functions, variables, imports, exports, flags and duplicate blocks, each with a confidence level, what could still use it, and a clear split into delete now, check first and keep.

Common mistake

Something marked safe is used through a dynamic import or a template.

Fix: Name those patterns in your paste, for example “routes are loaded by file name”. Search the whole project for each name before you delete it.

Also watch for

You paste only one file, so exports look unused. Paste the importing files too, or run your own search for the exported names. An export used elsewhere cannot be judged from one file.
You delete everything in one commit. Follow the tip: small commits and tests after each, so you can undo a single removal without losing the rest.

Try a variation: unused dependencies

Add your package file and ask “which dependencies are not imported anywhere, and which are used only by build tools or tests?”

Still not right? Reply with this

Take only the items in the check first group and tell me the exact search I should run for each to confirm nothing uses them.