Clean Branches

name: clean-branches description: > Use when user says "clean up branches", "delete merged branches", "prune stale branches", "git branch cleanup", "remove old branches", or wants to safely remove merged or stale git branches. model: claude-sonnet-4-5 argument-hint: [branch-pattern] - optional pattern to filter branches allowed-tools: - Bash(git:*) - AskUserQuestion

Clean Git Branches

Safely remove merged and stale git branches with confirmation.

Process

0. Parse arguments If $ARGUMENTS provided, use as branch pattern filter (e.g., feature/*).

1. Fetch latest state

git fetch --all --prune

2. Identify candidates

Find merged branches:

git branch --merged main | grep -v "^\*\|main\|master\|develop"

Find stale branches (no commits in 30+ days):

git for-each-ref --sort=-committerdate --format='%(refname:short) %(committerdate:relative)' refs/heads/ | while read branch date; do
  if [[ "$date" == *"months"* ]] || [[ "$date" == *"year"* ]]; then
    echo "$branch ($date)"
  fi
done

3. Categorize and display

Present findings:

MERGED BRANCHES (safe to delete):
- feature/old-feature
- fix/completed-fix

STALE BRANCHES (no recent commits):
- experiment/abandoned (3 months ago)
- wip/forgotten (6 months ago)

PROTECTED (never delete):
- main, master, develop

4. Confirm before deletion

Use AskUserQuestion:

• "Delete all merged branches?"
• "Delete specific stale branches?" (list options)
• "Skip and keep all?"

5. Execute deletion

Local only (safe):

git branch -d <branch-name>

If user explicitly requests remote cleanup:

git push origin --delete <branch-name>

Safety Rules

• Never delete: main, master, develop, release/*
• Always confirm before any deletion
• Use -d (safe delete) not -D (force)
• Show what will be deleted before acting
• Remote deletion requires explicit confirmation

Output

Summary:

• Branches deleted (local)
• Branches deleted (remote, if requested)
• Branches kept
• Any errors encountered