An agentic skills framework & software development methodology that works.
This report presents the forensic synthetic code analysis of obra/superpowers, a Shell project with 254,046 GitHub stars. SynthScan v2.0 examined 34,165 lines of code across 158 source files, recording 121 pattern matches distributed across 12 syntactic categories. The overall adjusted score of 6.6 places this repository in the Low AI signal band.
The scanner applied 160+ deterministic lexical heuristics, multi-line block detectors, abstract syntax tree depth profilers, and a cross-file Jaccard similarity matrix to construct a statistically normalised synthetic code estimate. All matches are individually weighted by severity coefficient and contextual multiplier before summation, and the resulting headline score is temporally discounted to account for the repository's development history relative to the commercial emergence of large language model coding tooling (November 2022 onward).
This chart maps the temporal evolution of the adjusted synthetic code score across successive scan runs. An upward trajectory indicates ongoing incorporation of AI-generated code or expanding LLM-assisted scaffolding; a stable or declining trajectory may reflect active human refactoring, code removal, or the adoption of stricter authorship policies. The dashed secondary line (right axis) independently tracks total raw pattern hit count, which can diverge from the normalised score when codebase size changes significantly between scans.
Classifies detected patterns by their diagnostic confidence and structural impact. CRITICAL patterns (coefficient 10) represent definitive synthetic signatures — hallucinated imports, explicit LLM attribution metadata — virtually never produced by human authors. HIGH (5) indicates strong structural tells such as cross-file repetition or cross-linguistic idioms. MEDIUM (2) covers recognisable conversational padding and AI-specific vocabulary. LOW (1) captures subtle indicators like tautological comments and generic boilerplate that require density to carry independent signal.
This horizontal bar chart decomposes the repository's raw synthetic code score by top-level directory, allowing you to pinpoint precisely which modules or components carry the highest AI authorship density. Directories with disproportionately high scores relative to their size warrant targeted manual review: concentrated AI signatures often trace back to mass-generated configuration layers, auto-ported test suites, LLM-scaffolded boilerplate classes, or entire subsystems authored under heavy copilot assistance. Use this view to prioritise your human code-review effort.
The scanner identified 121 distinct pattern matches across 12 syntactic categories. Each entry below represents a discrete location in the source code where the engine recorded a statistically significant AI authorship indicator. Expand any category row to inspect the individual file paths, line numbers, code snippets, and the lexical context (CODE, COMMENT, or STRING) in which each match was detected.
Reading the findings table: The Severity column indicates the diagnostic confidence level (CRITICAL / HIGH / MEDIUM / LOW). The Context column identifies whether the match occurred inside executable code, an inline comment, or a string literal — comment-context matches receive a ×1.5 weight because LLMs systematically over-annotate. The ⚡ bolt icon marks clustered matches: three or more patterns within a 10-line window, each receiving an additional ×1.5 density multiplier as dense clusters constitute far stronger evidence of synthetic authorship than isolated hits.
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW⚡ | …s/2025-11-28-skills-improvements-from-user-feedback.md | 452 | // Step 1: Open interface definition (PlatformAdapter) | COMMENT |
| LOW⚡ | …s/2025-11-28-skills-improvements-from-user-feedback.md | 453 | // Step 2: List methods defined there (close, initialize, etc.) | COMMENT |
| LOW⚡ | …s/2025-11-28-skills-improvements-from-user-feedback.md | 454 | // Step 3: Mock EXACTLY those methods | COMMENT |
| LOW | …uperpowers/plans/2026-03-23-codex-app-compatibility.md | 41 | ## Step 0: Check if Already in an Isolated Workspace | COMMENT |
| LOW | …uperpowers/plans/2026-03-23-codex-app-compatibility.md | 130 | Read `skills/finishing-a-development-branch/SKILL.md` in full. Identify the insertion point: after "**If tests pass:** C | CODE |
| LOW | …uperpowers/plans/2026-03-23-codex-app-compatibility.md | 209 | Find the "### Step 5: Cleanup Worktree" section in `skills/finishing-a-development-branch/SKILL.md` (line numbers will h | CODE |
| LOW | …uperpowers/plans/2026-03-23-codex-app-compatibility.md | 212 | ### Step 5: Cleanup Worktree | COMMENT |
| LOW | …uperpowers/plans/2026-03-23-codex-app-compatibility.md | 234 | ### Step 5: Cleanup Worktree | COMMENT |
| LOW | docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill.md | 157 | ## Step 1: Create Isolated Workspace | COMMENT |
| LOW | docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill.md | 229 | ## Step 0: Detect Existing Isolation | COMMENT |
| LOW | docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill.md | 260 | ## Step 1: Create Isolated Workspace | COMMENT |
| LOW | docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill.md | 326 | ## Step 3: Project Setup | COMMENT |
| LOW | docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill.md | 345 | ## Step 4: Verify Clean Baseline | COMMENT |
| LOW | docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill.md | 490 | ### Step 1: Verify Tests | COMMENT |
| LOW | docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill.md | 512 | ### Step 2: Detect Environment | COMMENT |
| LOW | docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill.md | 529 | ### Step 3: Determine Base Branch | COMMENT |
| LOW | docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill.md | 538 | ### Step 4: Present Options | COMMENT |
| LOW | docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill.md | 567 | ### Step 5: Execute Choice | COMMENT |
| LOW | docs/superpowers/plans/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill.md | 641 | ### Step 6: Cleanup Workspace | COMMENT |
| LOW | …perpowers/specs/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill-design.md | 57 | #### Step 0: Detect Existing Isolation | COMMENT |
| LOW | …perpowers/specs/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill-design.md | 159 | #### Step 1: Verify Tests (unchanged) | COMMENT |
| LOW | …perpowers/specs/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill-design.md | 180 | #### Step 2: Determine Base Branch (unchanged) | COMMENT |
| LOW | …perpowers/specs/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill-design.md | 182 | #### Step 3: Present Options | COMMENT |
| LOW | …perpowers/specs/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill-design.md | 197 | #### Step 4: Execute Choice | COMMENT |
| LOW | …perpowers/specs/2026-04-06-worktree-rototill-design.md | 227 | #### Step 5: Cleanup (updated) | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/using-git-worktrees/SKILL.md | 16 | ## Step 0: Detect Existing Isolation | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/using-git-worktrees/SKILL.md | 47 | ## Step 1: Create Isolated Workspace | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/using-git-worktrees/SKILL.md | 102 | ## Step 2: Project Setup | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/using-git-worktrees/SKILL.md | 121 | ## Step 3: Verify Clean Baseline | COMMENT |
| LOW⚡ | skills/executing-plans/SKILL.md | 18 | ### Step 1: Load and Review Plan | COMMENT |
| LOW⚡ | skills/executing-plans/SKILL.md | 24 | ### Step 2: Execute Tasks | COMMENT |
| LOW⚡ | skills/executing-plans/SKILL.md | 32 | ### Step 3: Complete Development | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/finishing-a-development-branch/SKILL.md | 18 | ### Step 1: Verify Tests | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/finishing-a-development-branch/SKILL.md | 40 | ### Step 2: Detect Environment | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/finishing-a-development-branch/SKILL.md | 57 | ### Step 3: Determine Base Branch | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/finishing-a-development-branch/SKILL.md | 66 | ### Step 4: Present Options | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/finishing-a-development-branch/SKILL.md | 95 | ### Step 5: Execute Choice | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/finishing-a-development-branch/SKILL.md | 161 | ### Step 6: Cleanup Workspace | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIUM | …cs/plans/2025-11-22-opencode-support-implementation.md | 565 | # ============================================ | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | docs/plans/2025-11-22-opencode-support-design.md | 92 | # ============================================ | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 31 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 33 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 83 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 85 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 134 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 136 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 163 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 165 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 206 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 208 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 316 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 318 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 355 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 357 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 380 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 382 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 416 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 418 | # ============================================================================= | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIUM | tests/claude-code/test-helpers.sh | 125 | # Create a temporary test project directory | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | tests/claude-code/test-helpers.sh | 141 | # Create a simple plan file for testing | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | …e-code/test-subagent-driven-development-integration.sh | 58 | # Create a simple implementation plan | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | tests/explicit-skill-requests/run-test.sh | 44 | # Create a minimal project directory for the test | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | tests/explicit-skill-requests/run-test.sh | 48 | # Create a dummy plan file for mid-conversation tests | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | tests/explicit-skill-requests/run-haiku-test.sh | 33 | # Create a dummy plan file | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | tests/explicit-skill-requests/run-multiturn-test.sh | 29 | # Create a dummy plan file | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | tests/opencode/setup.sh | 54 | # Create a project directory for project-level skill tests | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | tests/claude-code/test-helpers.sh | 31 | # Check if output contains a pattern | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/claude-code/test-helpers.sh | 50 | # Check if output does NOT contain a pattern | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/claude-code/test-helpers.sh | 69 | # Check if output matches a count | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/claude-code/test-helpers.sh | 92 | # Check if pattern A appears before pattern B | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/claude-code/run-skill-tests.sh | 18 | # Check if Claude Code is available | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/explicit-skill-requests/run-test.sh | 81 | # Check if skill was triggered (look for Skill tool invocation) | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/explicit-skill-requests/run-test.sh | 97 | # Check if Claude took action BEFORE invoking the skill (the failure mode) | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/explicit-skill-requests/run-test.sh | 105 | # Check if any non-Skill, non-system tools were invoked before the first Skill invocation | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/explicit-skill-requests/run-multiturn-test.sh | 89 | # Check if skill was triggered in Turn 3 | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/opencode/test-priority.sh | 92 | # Check if opencode is available for integration tests | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/opencode/test-tools.sh | 19 | # Check if opencode is available | COMMENT |
| LOW | scripts/bump-version.sh | 78 | # Check if all versions match | COMMENT |
| LOW | scripts/bump-version.sh | 139 | # Check if this file is in the declared list | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/systematic-debugging/find-polluter.sh | 44 | # Check if pollution appeared | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIUM | …e-code/test-subagent-driven-development-integration.sh | 216 | # Test 2: Subagents were used (Agent / Task tool — name varies by harness version) | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | tests/antigravity/test-antigravity-tools.sh | 9 | # harness-specific mappings" check. CI-safe: does not require `agy` installed. | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM⚡ | skills/brainstorming/scripts/start-server.sh | 153 | # Resolve the harness PID (grandparent of this script). | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM⚡ | skills/brainstorming/scripts/start-server.sh | 154 | # $PPID is the ephemeral shell the harness spawned to run us — it dies | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM⚡ | skills/brainstorming/scripts/start-server.sh | 155 | # when this script exits. The harness itself is $PPID's parent. | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | tests/brainstorm-server/branding.test.js | 77 | function createPackagedServerFixture(version) { | CODE |
| LOW | tests/brainstorm-server/branding.test.js | 157 | function assertBrandedFallbackText(html, version = PACKAGE_VERSION) { | CODE |
| LOW | tests/brainstorm-server/branding.test.js | 173 | function assertLogoKeepsTransparentBackground(html) { | CODE |
| LOW | tests/brainstorm-server/branding.test.js | 208 | function assertFramedLogoSupportsDarkTheme(html) { | CODE |
| LOW | tests/brainstorm-server/branding.test.js | 215 | function assertFramedScreenUsesBrandHeader(html) { | CODE |
| LOW | tests/brainstorm-server/branding.test.js | 227 | function assertHeaderAvoidsNarrowOverlap(html) { | CODE |
| LOW | tests/brainstorm-server/server.test.js | 93 | function assertStartedOnExpectedPort(out) { | CODE |
| LOW | tests/brainstorm-server/auth.test.js | 116 | function assertStartedOnExpectedPort(out) { | CODE |
| LOW | …rs/plans/2026-06-09-sdd-task-scoped-review-dispatch.md | 555 | def scaffold_sdd_quality_defect_plan(workdir: Path) -> None: | STRING |
| LOW | …/superpowers/plans/2026-05-06-lift-drill-into-evals.md | 306 | def test_set_superpowers_root_default_when_unset(monkeypatch, tmp_path): | CODE |
| LOW | …/superpowers/plans/2026-05-06-lift-drill-into-evals.md | 317 | def test_set_superpowers_root_default_respects_existing(monkeypatch): | CODE |
| LOW | …/superpowers/plans/2026-05-06-lift-drill-into-evals.md | 358 | def _set_superpowers_root_default() -> None: | CODE |
| LOW | …/superpowers/plans/2026-05-06-lift-drill-into-evals.md | 511 | def test_codex_requires_superpowers_root(): | CODE |
| LOW | …/superpowers/plans/2026-05-06-lift-drill-into-evals.md | 516 | def test_codex_does_not_require_superpowers_root(): | CODE |
| LOW | …s/2026-06-11-visual-companion-final-hardening-fixup.md | 128 | function assertStartedOnExpectedPort(out) { | CODE |
| LOW | …s/2026-06-11-visual-companion-final-hardening-fixup.md | 795 | function assertStartedOnExpectedPort(out) { | CODE |
| LOW | …rs/plans/2026-06-10-visual-companion-auth-hardening.md | 465 | function isRegularFileInsideContentDir(filePath) { | CODE |
| LOW | .pi/extensions/superpowers.ts | 115 | function firstNonCompactionSummaryIndex(messages: unknown[]): number { | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | tests/claude-code/test-worktree-native-preference.sh | 1 | #!/usr/bin/env bash | COMMENT |
| LOW | …e-code/test-subagent-driven-development-integration.sh | 1 | #!/usr/bin/env bash | COMMENT |
| LOW | tests/brainstorm-server/windows-lifecycle.test.sh | 1 | #!/usr/bin/env bash | COMMENT |
| LOW | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 1 | #!/usr/bin/env bash | COMMENT |
| LOW | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 21 | # ./scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh --bootstrap # create plugin dir if missing | COMMENT |
| LOW | …ystematic-debugging/condition-based-waiting-example.ts | 141 | // --------------- | COMMENT |
| LOW | skills/brainstorming/scripts/start-server.sh | 1 | #!/usr/bin/env bash | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | tests/brainstorm-server/windows-lifecycle.test.sh | 15 | # Usage: | COMMENT |
| LOW | scripts/bump-version.sh | 6 | # Usage: | COMMENT |
| LOW | scripts/sync-to-codex-plugin.sh | 15 | # Usage: | COMMENT |
| LOW | scripts/lint-shell.sh | 5 | # Usage: | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIUM | tests/antigravity/test-antigravity-tools.sh | 4 | # runs the SessionStart hook for bootstrap, so there is no agy-specific scaffold | COMMENT |
| MEDIUM | skills/using-superpowers/references/codex-tools.md | 1 | ## Subagent dispatch requires multi-agent support | COMMENT |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | tests/claude-code/analyze-token-usage.py | 67 | except Exception: | CODE |
| MEDIUM | tests/claude-code/analyze-token-usage.py | 91 | print(f"Error: Session file not found: {main_session_file}") | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | …e-code/test-subagent-driven-development-integration.sh | 120 | git config user.email "test@test.com" | CODE |
| LOW | skills/brainstorming/visual-companion.md | 239 | <div class="placeholder">Placeholder area</div> | CODE |
| Severity | File | Line | Snippet | Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LOW | tests/claude-code/analyze-token-usage.py | 12 | CODE |