jscpd

Copy-paste detector for programming source code, supports 150+ languages. Use this skill to find duplicated code and refactor it away.

Quick Start

# Run with ai reporter (compact output optimized for agents)
npx jscpd --reporters ai <path>

# With ignore patterns
npx jscpd --reporters ai --ignore "**/node_modules/**,**/dist/**" <path>

# Scope to specific formats
npx jscpd --reporters ai --format "javascript,typescript" <path>

AI Reporter Output Format

The ai reporter produces compact, token-efficient output designed for agent consumption:

Clones:
src/ foo.ts:10-25 ~ bar.ts:42-57
src/utils/helpers.ts:100-120 ~ src/utils/other.ts:5-25
---
3 clones · 4.2% duplication

Each line represents one clone pair:

• Same file: path/file.ts 10-25 ~ 45-60 (shared path shown once)
• Same directory: shared/prefix/ file-a.ts:10-25 ~ file-b.ts:42-57 (common prefix factored out)
• Different paths: path/a.ts:10-25 ~ path/b.ts:42-57

Common Options

Option	Description
--reporters ai	Use the AI-optimized reporter (required for this skill)
--min-tokens N	Minimum tokens to consider a duplication (default: 50)
--min-lines N	Minimum lines to consider a duplication (default: 5)
--threshold N	Exit with error if duplication % exceeds N
--ignore "glob"	Ignore patterns (comma-separated)
--format "list"	Limit to specific languages (e.g. typescript,javascript)
--pattern "glob"	Glob pattern to select files
--gitignore	Respect .gitignore
--silent	Suppress output (useful with --output only)

Workflow

1. Run jscpd with --reporters ai on the target path
2. Parse each clone line to identify the two duplicated locations (file + line range)
3. Read both code fragments from the source files
4. Understand what the duplicated code does
5. Design a refactoring: extract a shared function, class, module, or constant
6. Apply the refactoring — update both locations and all other usages
7. Re-run jscpd to confirm the clone is eliminated
8. Repeat for remaining clones, highest-impact first

Refactoring Strategies

Extract function — when the duplicate is a block of logic:

// Before: same block in two places
// After: shared function called from both places

Extract module/utility — when the duplicate spans multiple files in different domains:

// Move shared logic to a shared utility file and import it

Extract constant or config — when the duplicate is repeated data or configuration.

Template/base class — when the duplicate is structural (e.g., repeated class shape).

Always ensure:

• All call sites are updated, not just the two reported by jscpd
• Tests still pass after refactoring
• The extracted abstraction has a clear, descriptive name

Tips

• Start with clones that have the highest line count — they have the most impact
• A clone between test files may indicate a missing test helper
• Clones across unrelated modules may signal a missing shared utility
• Use --min-lines 10 to filter noise and focus on meaningful duplications