# Clean Branches

> Delete local branches whose PRs have been merged upstream. Checks GitHub PR status for each branch. Triggers on: clean branches, delete merged branches, prune branches, branch cleanup.

- Skill: `majiayu000/clean-branches-3` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add majiayu000/clean-branches-3`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/majiayu000/clean-branches-3/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: majiayu000 (https://skillmd.com/u/majiayu000)
- Updated: 2026-09-09
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/majiayu000/clean-branches-3

---


# Clean Branches - Delete Merged Local Branches

Clean up local branches by checking their GitHub PR status and deleting those that have been merged.

## Steps

1. **Fetch and list branches** — Fetch the latest remote state, then get all local branches except `master`:

```bash
git fetch origin master
git branch --format='%(refname:short)' | grep -v '^master$'
```

Show the list to the user. If no branches exist besides `master`, report that and stop.

2. **Check merge status for each branch** — Use multiple methods to detect merges (including squash merges):

**Method 1: Direct ancestry** — Catches regular merges and fast-forwards:
```bash
git branch --merged origin/master --format='%(refname:short)'
```

**Method 2: Squash merge detection via `git cherry`** — For branches not caught by method 1, check if all commits have equivalent patches in `origin/master`. A `-` prefix means the patch already exists upstream:
```bash
git cherry -v origin/master <branch>
```
If ALL lines start with `-` (or output is empty), the branch has been squash-merged.

**Method 3: GitHub PR status** (if `gh` is authenticated) — For remaining branches:
```bash
# Check for merged PRs
gh pr list --head <branch> --state merged --json number,title,url

# Check for closed (not merged) PRs
gh pr list --head <branch> --state closed --json number,title,url,mergedAt
```
A PR is "closed without merge" when it appears in the closed list but has an empty/null `mergedAt` field. If `gh` is not authenticated, skip this method.

**Important:** Always compare against `origin/master` (not local `master`) to detect merges even when local master is stale.

3. **Categorize branches** into these groups:
   - **Merged**: Detected as merged by any method above → safe to delete
   - **Closed (not merged)**: PR was closed without merging → flag for user decision
   - **No PR / Open PR**: No PR found (and not detected as merged), or PR is still open → skip

4. **Display categorized list** — Show the user a summary table with:
   - Branch name
   - Category (Merged / Closed / No PR / Open)
   - PR number and title (if available)
   - Detection method (ancestry / squash / PR status)

5. **Confirm with user** — Ask the user which branches to delete:
   - Pre-select "Merged" branches for deletion
   - Ask about "Closed (not merged)" branches individually
   - Never auto-delete "No PR" or "Open PR" branches

6. **Delete confirmed branches** — If currently on a branch being deleted, switch to `master` first and fast-forward it:

```bash
git checkout master && git merge --ff-only origin/master
git branch -D <branch1> <branch2> ...
```

After deleting, prune stale remote tracking references:

```bash
git remote prune origin
```

7. **Report results** — Summarize:
   - How many branches were deleted
   - Which branches were kept and why