Use when users want to remove the atelier-pipeline multi-agent orchestration system from their project. Cleanly removes all installed files, hook registrations, and CLAUDE.md pipeline section. Preserves user-created custom agents.
Installs into .claude/skills of the current project.
Are you the author of Pipeline Uninstall?
Add the live security badge to your README. It updates with every re-scan.
[](https://www.skillsdirectory.com/skills/robertsfeir-pipeline-uninstall-atelier-pipeline)
---
name: pipeline-uninstall
description: Use when users want to remove the atelier-pipeline multi-agent orchestration system from their project. Cleanly removes all installed files, hook registrations, and CLAUDE.md pipeline section. Preserves user-created custom agents.
---
# Atelier Pipeline -- Uninstall
This skill removes the Atelier Pipeline multi-agent orchestration system from the user's project. It is careful, transparent, and non-destructive by default.
<contract>
<requires>
- Pipeline previously installed via `/pipeline-setup` (at least one of `.claude/rules/`, `.claude/agents/`, `.claude/hooks/`, `.claude/pipeline-config.json`, or `docs/pipeline/` exists).
- Write access to project root and explicit user "yes" confirmation before any removal.
</requires>
<produces>
- Removal of core pipeline files in `.claude/rules/`, `.claude/agents/` (core only), `.claude/commands/`, `.claude/references/`, `.claude/hooks/`, and `docs/pipeline/`.
- Removal of `.claude/pipeline-config.json` and `.claude/.atelier-version`.
- `.claude/settings.json` with pipeline hook registrations stripped (file deleted if empty).
- `CLAUDE.md` with the "Pipeline System (Atelier Pipeline)" section stripped (file deleted if empty).
</produces>
<invalidates>
- `brain-setup` `<requires>`: `.claude/` is no longer guaranteed to exist after uninstall.
- `brain-hydrate` `<requires>`: pipeline state directory and agent personas the hydration scout fan-out depends on are gone.
- Any user-created discovered agents in `.claude/agents/` lose their orchestration host (files preserved, but no longer functional).
</invalidates>
</contract>
<procedure id="uninstall">
## Uninstall Procedure
### Step 1: Inventory Installed Files
Before removing anything, scan the project to build a complete inventory of what was installed by the pipeline.
**Core pipeline files (installed by pipeline-setup):**
```
.claude/rules/
default-persona.md
agent-system.md
pipeline-orchestration.md
pipeline-models.md
branch-lifecycle.md
.claude/agents/ (core agents only)
sarah.md
colby.md
robert.md
sable.md
investigator.md
distillator.md
ellis.md
agatha.md
sentinel.md (if Sentinel was enabled)
.claude/commands/
pm.md
ux.md
architect.md
pipeline.md
devops.md
docs.md
.claude/references/
dor-dod.md
invocation-templates.md
pipeline-operations.md
agent-preamble.md
branch-mr-mode.md
xml-prompt-schema.md
.claude/hooks/
enforce-paths.sh
enforce-sequencing.sh
enforce-pipeline-activation.sh
enforce-git.sh
session-hydrate.sh
pre-compact.sh
enforcement-config.json
.claude/pipeline-config.json
.claude/.atelier-version
docs/pipeline/
pipeline-state.md
context-brief.md
error-patterns.md
investigation-ledger.md
```
**Detect each file's existence** using Glob and build two lists:
1. **Core pipeline files** -- files matching the manifest above that exist on disk
2. **User-created custom agents** -- any `.md` files in `.claude/agents/` whose YAML frontmatter `name` does NOT match a core agent (sarah, colby, ellis, agatha, robert, sable, investigator, distillator, sentinel)
### Step 2: Present Removal Plan
Display the full removal plan to the user BEFORE touching any files. Organize by category:
```
Pipeline Uninstall Plan
=======================
WILL REMOVE (core pipeline files):
.claude/rules/ -- [N] files (Eva persona, orchestration rules, models, branch lifecycle)
.claude/agents/ -- [N] core agent files (sarah, colby, ...)
.claude/commands/ -- [N] files (slash command definitions)
.claude/references/ -- [N] files (quality framework, templates, operations)
.claude/hooks/ -- [N] files (enforcement scripts and config)
.claude/pipeline-config.json
.claude/.atelier-version
docs/pipeline/ -- [N] files (pipeline state, context, error patterns)
WILL MODIFY:
.claude/settings.json -- Remove hook registrations (PreToolUse, SubagentStop, PreCompact)
CLAUDE.md -- Remove "Pipeline System (Atelier Pipeline)" section
WILL PRESERVE (not removed):
[List any user-created custom agents found in .claude/agents/]
[If no custom agents: "No user content to preserve."]
Total files to remove: [count]
Total files to modify: [count]
```
### Step 3: Handle Preservable Content
**Custom agents:** If user-created custom agents are found in `.claude/agents/`, inform the user:
> Found [N] custom agent(s) that were not installed by the pipeline:
> - [agent-name] -- [description from frontmatter]
>
> These will NOT be removed. They'll remain in `.claude/agents/` but won't
> function without the pipeline's orchestration rules. You can delete them
> manually if you no longer need them.
### Step 4: Get User Confirmation
Ask for explicit confirmation before proceeding:
> This will remove [N] files and modify [M] files. This cannot be undone
> (though git can restore them if they were committed).
>
> Proceed with uninstall? (yes/no)
**Do not proceed without explicit "yes" from the user.**
### Step 5: Remove Files
Execute the removal in this order:
1. **Remove hook registrations from `.claude/settings.json`:**
- Read the current settings file
- Remove the `PreToolUse` hook entries that reference `enforce-paths.sh`, `enforce-sequencing.sh`, `enforce-pipeline-activation.sh`, and `enforce-git.sh`
- Remove the `SessionStart` hook entry that references `session-hydrate.sh`
- Remove the `PreCompact` hook entry that references `pre-compact.sh`
- If the `hooks` object is now empty, remove the `hooks` key entirely
- If `settings.json` is now empty (`{}`), delete the file
- Preserve any non-pipeline hook entries and other settings
2. **Remove the pipeline section from `CLAUDE.md`:**
- Find and remove the section starting with `## Pipeline System (Atelier Pipeline)` through the end of that section (up to the next `##` heading or end of file)
- If `CLAUDE.md` is now empty or contains only whitespace, delete the file
- Preserve all other content in `CLAUDE.md`
3. **Remove core pipeline files** (skip any that don't exist):
- Delete all files in `.claude/hooks/` that match the manifest
- Delete all core agent files in `.claude/agents/` (preserve custom agents)
- Delete all files in `.claude/commands/` that match the manifest
- Delete all files in `.claude/references/` that match the manifest
- Delete all files in `.claude/rules/` that match the manifest
- Delete `.claude/pipeline-config.json`
- Delete `.claude/.atelier-version`
- Delete all files in `docs/pipeline/` that match the manifest
4. **Clean up empty directories:**
- If `.claude/hooks/` is now empty, remove the directory
- If `.claude/agents/` is now empty (no custom agents), remove the directory
- If `.claude/commands/` is now empty, remove the directory
- If `.claude/references/` is now empty, remove the directory
- If `.claude/rules/` is now empty, remove the directory
- If `docs/pipeline/` is now empty, remove the directory
- If `docs/` is now empty, remove the directory
- Do NOT remove `.claude/` itself -- it may contain `settings.json` or other non-pipeline files
### Step 6: Print Summary
After removal, print a summary:
```
Atelier Pipeline uninstalled.
Removed: [N] files across [M] directories
Modified: .claude/settings.json (hooks removed), CLAUDE.md (pipeline section removed)
Preserved: [list of preserved items, or "nothing"]
The atelier-pipeline plugin is still registered with Claude Code.
To fully remove it: claude plugin remove atelier-pipeline
If you change your mind, reinstall with: /pipeline-setup
```
</procedure>
<gate id="uninstall-constraints">
## Important Notes
- **Never remove files without showing the plan first.** The inventory step is mandatory.
- **Never remove user-created custom agents.** Only remove files that match the core pipeline manifest.
- **Preserve non-pipeline content in settings.json and CLAUDE.md.** Only remove pipeline-specific entries.
- **Handle missing files gracefully.** If a file from the manifest doesn't exist, skip it silently -- don't error.
- **This skill does NOT remove the plugin itself.** It removes the installed project files. The user must run `claude plugin remove atelier-pipeline` separately to remove the plugin.
- **This skill does NOT remove the Atelier Brain database.** Brain data persists independently. If the user wants to remove brain data, they should use their database management tools directly.
</gate>
</SKILL.md>