> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://pharaoh.so/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://pharaoh.so/docs/guides/find-dead-code.md).

# Find Dead Code

Dead code is more than clutter. It misleads humans and AI alike - false grep matches, confusing imports, wasted context tokens. Every unreachable function is a distraction that makes your codebase harder to reason about. Pharaoh traces reachability from production entry points to find what's truly unreachable.

## The workflow

### 1. Find unreachable functions

Ask your AI tool:

```
Find dead code in the utils module.
```

This triggers `get_unused_code`. Functions come back in two tiers:

* **Dead** - no callers in the graph AND no text references anywhere in the codebase. Safe to delete.
* **Likely Dead** - no callers in the graph BUT mentioned as a string somewhere. Could be dynamically dispatched via string lookup, or could just be referenced in a comment.

### 2. Find duplicate logic

Ask your AI tool:

```
Find duplicate logic across the codebase.
```

This triggers `get_consolidation_opportunities`. You get back:

* **Identical body hashes** - two functions with the same implementation in different modules
* **Signature twins** - functions with identical signatures that likely do the same thing
* **Parallel consumers** - multiple modules reading the same DB table or API endpoint
* **Competing DB access** - different modules writing to the same table without coordination

### 3. Verify specific functions

Ask your AI tool:

```
Is the deprecated processOrder function still reachable?
```

This triggers `check_reachability` (Pro). It gives a definitive answer: the function is either connected to a production entry point or it isn't.

## What to look for

* **Dead tier** - high confidence. These functions have no callers and no text references. Delete them. If something breaks, it means a dynamic dispatch pattern wasn't captured - but this is rare for the Dead tier.
* **Likely Dead tier** - investigate the text references before deleting. If the reference is a comment, a documentation string, or a log message, the function is still dead. If the reference is a string used in a dispatch table or plugin registry, the function is alive.
* **Signature twins** - two functions with identical parameter types and return types in different modules usually mean someone copied instead of importing. Consolidate them into one shared function.
* **Parallel consumers** - multiple modules independently reading the same DB table often means duplicated query logic. One module should own the data access, and the others should call it.

## Tips

* Start with a single module, not the whole codebase. A focused cleanup is easier to verify, easier to review, and less likely to cause unintended breakage. Chain the tools: `get_unused_code` to find candidates, `check_reachability` to verify, then delete with confidence.
* Dead code compounds. A function becomes dead, then the functions that only existed to support it become dead too. A quarterly cleanup pass prevents dead code from becoming archaeological layers that nobody dares touch.


---

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