Enumerate exported symbols in a file and surface those with zero references across the workspace. Use when auditing for dead code, cleaning up APIs, or checking which exports are safe to remove.
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name
lsp-dead-code
description
Enumerate exported symbols in a file and surface those with zero references across the workspace. Use when auditing for dead code, cleaning up APIs, or checking which exports are safe to remove.
Audit an exported symbol list for zero-reference candidates. Calls
list_symbols to enumerate symbols, then checks each exported
symbol with find_references to find callers. Produces a classified report.
When to Use
Use this skill when you want to identify dead code in a file — exported
symbols that are defined but never called anywhere in the workspace. Common
use cases:
Cleaning up APIs before a release
Identifying legacy exports that can be safely removed
Auditing a package for unused public surface area
Important: This skill surfaces candidates. Always review results
manually before deleting anything. See the Caveats section below.
What counts as "exported"
Language
Exported means...
Go
Identifier starts with an uppercase letter (e.g. MyFunc, MyType)
TypeScript
Has export keyword; or is a public class member (no private)
Python
Not prefixed with _; or explicitly listed in __all__
Java/C#
Has public or protected visibility modifier
Rust
Has pub keyword
Prerequisites
If LSP is not yet initialized, call mcp__lsp__start_lsp with the
workspace root first:
agent-lsp supports auto-inference from file paths, so explicit start is
only required when switching workspaces or on a cold session.
Step 0 — Verify indexing is complete (mandatory)
Do not skip this step. An under-indexed workspace returns [] for
symbols that ARE referenced, producing false dead-code candidates.
Pick one symbol you know is actively used (e.g. the primary constructor,
a widely-called utility function). Call find_references on it:
mcp__lsp__find_references({
"file_path": "/abs/path/to/file.go",
"line": <known-active symbol line>,
"column": <known-active symbol column>,
"include_declaration": false
})
If this returns []: the workspace is not indexed. Wait 3–5 seconds
and retry. Do not proceed until a known-active symbol returns ≥1 reference.
If it never returns results after 15 seconds, restart the LSP server with
mcp__lsp__restart_lsp_server and re-open the target file.
Step 1 — Open the file and enumerate symbols
Open the file so the language server tracks it, then fetch all symbols:
Collect the full symbol list. Filter to exported symbols only using the
language-appropriate rule from the table above.
Coordinate note:list_symbols returns 1-based coordinates.
Pass selectionRange.start.line and selectionRange.start.character
directly to find_references — no conversion needed.
"no identifier found" error: This means the column points to whitespace
or a keyword rather than the identifier name. This happens with methods
whose receiver prefix shifts the name rightward (e.g. func (c *Client) MethodName
— the name starts at column 21, not column 1). Fix: grep the declaration
line for the symbol name to find its exact column:
grep -n "MethodName" file.go
# count characters to find the 1-based column of the name
Then retry find_references with the corrected column.
Step 2 — Check references for each exported symbol
For each exported symbol, call find_references with
include_declaration: false so the definition site itself is excluded
from the count. A count of 0 means no callers, not no occurrences.
Batching note: For files with many exported symbols (>20), process in
batches of 5–10 to avoid overwhelming the LSP server.
Zero-reference cross-check (required before classifying as dead):
When find_references returns [] for a symbol that looks foundational
(a handler, a constructor, a type used as a field), do not trust LSP alone.
LSP can miss references made through value-passing, interface satisfaction,
or function registration patterns (e.g. server.AddResource(HandleFoo)).
Before classifying as dead, run a text search in the primary wiring files:
If grep finds the name in a registration or assignment context, the symbol
is active — LSP just couldn't resolve the indirect reference. Update your
classification accordingly.
Step 3 — Classify and report
Classify each exported symbol by reference count:
Zero references (LSP + grep) — confirmed dead candidate. Flag with WARNING.
Zero LSP, found by grep — active via registration/value pattern. Mark as ACTIVE.
1–2 references — review manually. May be test-only usage.
3+ references — active symbol. Not dead code.
For test-only references: if all locations are in _test.go files (Go) or
files named *.test.* / *.spec.*, mark the symbol as "test-only" in
the report rather than "zero-reference".
The following cases produce zero LSP references even though the symbol IS
used at runtime. Do not delete any zero-reference candidate without
manual review:
Incomplete indexing.find_references only searches files open or
indexed by the language server. If the workspace is partially indexed,
results may be incomplete. The Step 0 warm-up check catches this.
Registration patterns. Symbols passed as values to registration
functions (e.g. server.AddTool(HandleFoo), http.HandleFunc("/", handler))
appear as zero LSP references from the definition site because gopls
tracks the call to the registrar, not the handler name. Always grep
wiring files for zero-reference handlers before classifying as dead.
Reflection and dynamic dispatch. Symbols used via reflection
(reflect.TypeOf in Go, Class.forName in Java) or dynamic dispatch
have no static call sites visible to the LSP.
//go:linkname and assembly. Go symbols linked via //go:linkname
or referenced from assembly files will show zero LSP references.
Library public API. Exported symbols called from external packages
not present in the workspace will show zero references even if
consumers exist.
Declaration excluded from count. The definition site is not counted
(include_declaration: false). A count of 0 means no callers found,
not that the symbol never appears in the source tree.
Always review before deleting. Zero LSP references is a signal to
investigate, not a guarantee the symbol is unused.
Step 4 — Next steps
After generating the report:
For each zero-reference symbol (confirmed by grep): Run lsp-impact
on the symbol to confirm. If lsp-impact also finds zero references, it
is safe to consider for removal. Still check the Caveats section above.
For symbols with only test-file references: Mark as "test-only" in
the report. These may be candidates for removal if the tests themselves
are redundant, but should not be deleted without reviewing whether the
tests serve a documentation or contract purpose.
For symbols with 1–2 references in production code: These are likely
active but lightly used. Do not remove without checking whether they are
part of a committed public API.
Step 5 — Optional cleanup with safe_delete_symbol
After reviewing the dead code report and confirming candidates with the user,
you may offer to remove confirmed zero-reference symbols using safe_delete_symbol:
This tool performs its own reference check before deleting. If any references
exist (even ones missed in the initial scan), the deletion is refused.
Requirements before using this step:
The user has explicitly confirmed they want the symbol removed.
The symbol was classified as a confirmed dead candidate (zero LSP + zero grep references).
You have reviewed the Caveats section above and communicated relevant risks.
Do NOT auto-delete symbols without user confirmation. Present the dead code
report first, let the user select which symbols to remove, then execute
safe_delete_symbol for each approved removal.
