How do I install the Git Branches Cleanup skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add pivoshenko/git-branches-cleanup in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Git Branches Cleanup safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Git Branches Cleanup?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Git Branches Cleanup free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Git Branches Cleanup?

pivoshenko (@pivoshenko) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Git Branches Cleanup by pivoshenko — Agent Skill

Name: Git Branches Cleanup
Author: pivoshenko

Git Branches Cleanup

Delete local git branches whose remote tracking branch is gone or whose changes are already merged into the base branch. Use when the user asks to clean up branches, prune branches, delete stale branches, or /git-branches-cleanup. Also trigger on "tidy git branches", "remove old branches", "I'm done with these branches", "branch graveyard", or whenever the user complains about local branch clutter. Reports what will be deleted and asks before deleting anything.

pivoshenko 15bd3fb 3.1 KB Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Cleanup Branches

Prune locals = merged OR remote gone. Destructive -> preview + confirm.

Flow

If user mentioned keep-patterns inline (e.g. "but keep spike/*") -> capture them. Else assume none. Don't prompt up front.
Parallel:
- git fetch --all --prune
- git branch --show-current
Base: user names one -> use it. Else detect: git symbolic-ref --short refs/remotes/origin/HEAD -> strip the origin/; ref missing -> git remote set-head origin -a, re-read; no remote -> main, fall back master. Why -> this is a delete path, and --merged <wrong-base> misclassifies live branches as merged. Compare against origin/<base>, not the local ref -> the local base is often stale or absent entirely (git-branch-create branches off origin/<base> without ever creating it), so a local-ref check either errors or reports branches as unmerged that the remote already has.
Candidates:
- Gone: upstream gone.
```
git for-each-ref --format='%(refname:short) %(upstream:track)' refs/heads \
  | awk '$2 == "[gone]" {print $1}'
```
- Merged: fully merged into the remote base (step 1 already fetched + pruned).
```
git branch --merged origin/<base> --format='%(refname:short)'
```
- Note: squash-merged PRs leave no merge commit, so they won't appear in Merged. Closing the PR deletes the remote -> they show up in Gone instead. The Gone bucket is the catch-all for PR-merged work.
- Union. Exclude:
  - current
  - base (main/master)
  - protected: any long-lived branch the repo treats as non-disposable if present (e.g. develop, release/*, staging). Skip silently if none exist.
  - user keep-patterns from step 0 (if provided).
Print grouped by reason (gone vs merged), one line per branch, no prose. Ask confirm.
On confirm:
- Merged: git branch -d <name>. -d re-checks against HEAD/upstream, not origin/<base>, so it can refuse a branch the Merged bucket listed -> that's a safe refusal, not a bug: report it as skipped, don't reach for -D.
- Gone + unmerged: git branch -D <name>. Explicit confirm only.
Print summary: counts + one line per skipped branch (+ why). No recap of what was already listed.

Rules

Always preview + confirm. Skip prompt only if user already said "yes delete" / "go ahead" same turn.
Never delete current / base / HEAD.
Never -D unmerged without explicit OK. Unsure -> list + let user decide.
Never touch remote branches. Local only.
Never git reflog expire / gc --prune=now. Deleted stay recoverable via reflog.
Empty candidate list -> say so + stop.
User keep-patterns (wip/*, spike/*) -> off-limits.

---name: git-branches-cleanupdescription: Delete local git branches whose remote tracking branch is gone or whose changes are already merged into the base branch. Use when the user asks to clean up branches, prune branches, delete stale branches, or /git-branches-cleanup. Also trigger on "tidy git branches", "remove old branches", "I'm done with these branches", "branch graveyard", or whenever the user complains about local branch clutter. Reports what will be deleted and asks before deleting anything.---# Cleanup BranchesPrune locals = merged OR remote gone. Destructive -> preview + confirm.## Flow0. If user mentioned keep-patterns inline (e.g. "but keep `spike/*`") -> capture them. Else assume none. Don't prompt up front.1. Parallel: - `git fetch --all --prune` - `git branch --show-current`2. Base: user names one -> use it. Else detect: `git symbolic-ref --short refs/remotes/origin/HEAD` -> strip the `origin/`; ref missing -> `git remote set-head origin -a`, re-read; no remote -> `main`, fall back `master`. Why -> this is a delete path, and `--merged <wrong-base>` misclassifies live branches as merged. Compare against `origin/<base>`, not the local ref -> the local base is often stale or absent entirely (`git-branch-create` branches off `origin/<base>` without ever creating it), so a local-ref check either errors or reports branches as unmerged that the remote already has.3. Candidates: - **Gone**: upstream gone. ``` git for-each-ref --format='%(refname:short) %(upstream:track)' refs/heads \ | awk '$2 == "[gone]" {print $1}' ``` - **Merged**: fully merged into the remote base (step 1 already fetched + pruned). ``` git branch --merged origin/<base> --format='%(refname:short)' ``` - Note: squash-merged PRs leave no merge commit, so they won't appear in **Merged**. Closing the PR deletes the remote -> they show up in **Gone** instead. The Gone bucket is the catch-all for PR-merged work. - Union. **Exclude**: - current - base (`main`/`master`) - protected: any long-lived branch the repo treats as non-disposable if present (e.g. `develop`, `release/*`, `staging`). Skip silently if none exist. - user keep-patterns from step 0 (if provided).4. Print grouped by reason (gone vs merged), one line per branch, no prose. Ask confirm.5. On confirm: - Merged: `git branch -d <name>`. `-d` re-checks against HEAD/upstream, not `origin/<base>`, so it can refuse a branch the Merged bucket listed -> that's a safe refusal, not a bug: report it as skipped, don't reach for `-D`. - Gone + unmerged: `git branch -D <name>`. Explicit confirm only.6. Print summary: counts + one line per skipped branch (+ why). No recap of what was already listed.## Rules- Always preview + confirm. Skip prompt only if user already said "yes delete" / "go ahead" same turn.- Never delete current / base / `HEAD`.- Never `-D` unmerged without explicit OK. Unsure -> list + let user decide.- Never touch remote branches. Local only.- Never `git reflog expire` / `gc --prune=now`. Deleted stay recoverable via reflog.- Empty candidate list -> say so + stop.- User keep-patterns (`wip/*`, `spike/*`) -> off-limits.

Frequently asked questions