# Delete files that nothing in the project uses

Files that no part of the project loads, removed with a dependency map as the evidence.

Category: Dead code and stale content
Source: https://letsship.ai/use-cases/delete-orphaned-files
Published: 2026-08-25

## Goal

Delete files that no entry point in the project reaches.

## Acceptance criteria

- A dependency graph from every entry point is attached
- Configuration, scripts, and test entry points are included as entry points
- The build and suite pass after deletion
- Files kept deliberately are listed with a reason

## What lands as proof

A dependency graph traced from every entry point, including the ones people forget like scripts and configuration.

## Prompt

Copy this to an agent to open the ticket:

```text
Create a Linear issue in my team and assign it to the SHIP agent.

Title: Delete the orphaned files in {area}

Description: Delete files that no entry point in the project reaches.

Acceptance criteria:
- A dependency graph from every entry point is attached
- Configuration, scripts, and test entry points are included as entry points
- The build and suite pass after deletion
- Files kept deliberately are listed with a reason

Before you create the issue, list this repository's real entry points, then generate the orphan list. Replace {area}.
```

## Questions

### What does the agent actually change?

The ticket is scoped to one outcome: delete files that no entry point in the project reaches. Work that serves that outcome is in scope, and anything outside it is left for a separate ticket, so the pull request stays reviewable.

### How do I know the work is done?

The pull request carries the evidence, not only the diff. Here that means dependency graph attached before and after, so a reviewer can confirm the result without reproducing the work locally.

### How much oversight does this need?

None is required before the run starts. Every claim this ticket makes can be checked by machine, so the agent works straight through and a person reviews the finished pull request like any other.