How do I install the Soft Delete Git skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add rubenflamshepherd/soft-delete-git 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 Soft Delete Git 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 Soft Delete Git?

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 Soft Delete Git free to use?

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

Who published Soft Delete Git?

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

Soft Delete Git by rubenflamshepherd

Name: Soft Delete Git
Author: rubenflamshepherd

Soft Delete Git

Safely soft-delete a merged Git branch by switching to the default branch, pulling latest, and running `git branch -d`. Use when the user wants to clean up, remove, or delete a local branch after merging, or says "soft delete this branch" / "delete my branch". Escalates to the user instead of force-deleting if the branch is unmerged, except squash-merged PRs verified via `gh`.

File contents

Soft Delete Git Branch Workflow

Invocation behavior

When this skill is invoked without an explicit branch name, target the currently checked-out branch. Invocation of the skill is authorization to begin the workflow immediately: inspect the working tree and determine the current branch without asking which branch to delete.

Only ask the user how to proceed when:

The working tree is dirty.
The current branch is the default branch.
Safe deletion fails and force deletion would require confirmation.

Do not ask the user to name or confirm the current branch before starting.

Steps:

Check for uncommitted changes
```
git status --porcelain
```
If the working tree is dirty, stop and ask the user how to proceed (commit, stash, or discard) before switching branches.
Get current branch name
```
git branch --show-current
```
If already on the default branch, there is no branch to delete — stop and ask the user which branch they meant.
Determine the default branch
```
git symbolic-ref --short refs/remotes/origin/HEAD
```
This returns e.g. origin/main — the default branch is the part after origin/. If the ref is unset, fall back to main.
Check out the default branch
```
git checkout <default-branch>
```
Pull latest changes
```
git pull
```
Soft delete the previous branch
```
git branch -d <branch-name>
```
If soft delete fails, check for a squash merge

git branch -d fails for branches merged via GitHub's "Squash and merge", because the branch tip is never an ancestor of the default branch. Check whether the branch's PR was actually merged:
```
gh pr view <branch-name> --json state,mergedAt
```
- If the PR state is MERGED, confirm with the user, then delete with git branch -D <branch-name>.
- Otherwise, escalate to the user rather than force-deleting.

Notes:

Uses lowercase -d for soft delete (safe delete that prevents deletion of unmerged branches)
Never use uppercase -D (hard delete) except in the verified-squash-merge case above, and only after confirming with the user
The workflow ensures the default branch is up to date before attempting the delete

---name: soft-delete-gitdescription: Safely soft-delete a merged Git branch by switching to the default branch, pulling latest, and running `git branch -d`. Use when the user wants to clean up, remove, or delete a local branch after merging, or says "soft delete this branch" / "delete my branch". Escalates to the user instead of force-deleting if the branch is unmerged, except squash-merged PRs verified via `gh`.---# Soft Delete Git Branch Workflow## Invocation behaviorWhen this skill is invoked without an explicit branch name, target the currently checked-out branch. Invocation of the skill is authorization to begin the workflow immediately: inspect the working tree and determine the current branch without asking which branch to delete.Only ask the user how to proceed when:- The working tree is dirty.- The current branch is the default branch.- Safe deletion fails and force deletion would require confirmation.Do not ask the user to name or confirm the current branch before starting.## Steps:1. **Check for uncommitted changes** ```bash git status --porcelain ``` If the working tree is dirty, stop and ask the user how to proceed (commit, stash, or discard) before switching branches.2. **Get current branch name** ```bash git branch --show-current ``` If already on the default branch, there is no branch to delete — stop and ask the user which branch they meant.3. **Determine the default branch** ```bash git symbolic-ref --short refs/remotes/origin/HEAD ``` This returns e.g. `origin/main` — the default branch is the part after `origin/`. If the ref is unset, fall back to `main`.4. **Check out the default branch** ```bash git checkout <default-branch> ```5. **Pull latest changes** ```bash git pull ```6. **Soft delete the previous branch** ```bash git branch -d <branch-name> ```7. **If soft delete fails, check for a squash merge** `git branch -d` fails for branches merged via GitHub's "Squash and merge", because the branch tip is never an ancestor of the default branch. Check whether the branch's PR was actually merged: ```bash gh pr view <branch-name> --json state,mergedAt ``` - If the PR state is `MERGED`, confirm with the user, then delete with `git branch -D <branch-name>`. - Otherwise, escalate to the user rather than force-deleting.## Notes:- Uses lowercase `-d` for soft delete (safe delete that prevents deletion of unmerged branches)- Never use uppercase `-D` (hard delete) except in the verified-squash-merge case above, and only after confirming with the user- The workflow ensures the default branch is up to date before attempting the delete

Frequently asked questions