Git Branch Cleanup

Automatically identifies and removes local git branches that track remote branches that no longer exist (marked as "gone").

When to Use This Skill

• User asks to "clean up git branches"
• User wants to "remove deleted branches"
• User mentions "prune branches" or "cleanup stale branches"
• Local branches show [origin/branch: gone] status
• After merging pull requests and deleting remote branches

Prerequisites

• Git repository initialized
• Must be on main/master branch (not on a branch you want to delete)
• Active internet connection to fetch from remote

Workflow

1. Switch to main branch (Required)

git checkout main

Important: You cannot delete a branch you're currently on. Always switch to main/master first.

2. Check current branch status

git branch -vv

Look for branches with [origin/branch-name: gone] - these track deleted remotes.

3. Prune remote tracking references

git fetch --prune

4. Find stale branches

PowerShell:

git branch -vv | Select-String 'gone'

Bash:

git branch -vv | grep 'gone'

5. Delete stale branches

Single branch:

git branch -D <branch-name>

Automated cleanup (PowerShell):

git branch -vv | Select-String 'gone' | ForEach-Object { 
    $branchName = $_.Line.Trim() -split '\s+' | Select-Object -First 1
    git branch -D $branchName
}

Automated cleanup (Bash):

git branch -vv | grep 'gone' | awk '{print $1}' | xargs -r git branch -D

6. Verify cleanup

git branch -vv

Safety Notes

• Always switch to main/master before cleaning - you can't delete the branch you're on
• Use -D (force delete) - bypasses merge check
• Deleted local branches can't be easily recovered
• Remote branches are NOT affected - this only cleans local copies
• Backup branches (no remote tracking) won't be deleted by this process