# Branch Health

> Use when checking branch status, asked "am I up to date", "check my branch", "any conflicts with main", "is my branch behind", "branch health check", "sync with main", "what's missing in my branch".

- Skill: `uner4s/branch-health` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add uner4s/branch-health`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/uner4s/branch-health/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: Uner4s (https://skillmd.com/u/uner4s)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/uner4s/branch-health

---


# Branch Health

**Rule:** Always run this before opening a PR or pushing. Never assume your branch is clean.

## Check Sequence

Run in order — stop and fix if any step shows a problem:

1. **Local status** — uncommitted or untracked changes
   ```bash
   git status
   ```

2. **Fetch + compare against remote** — updates refs without merging
   ```bash
   git fetch origin
   git status -sb
   ```

3. **Commits missing from your branch** — what main has that you don't
   ```bash
   git log HEAD..origin/main --oneline
   ```

4. **Your commits not yet in main** — what you'd be pushing
   ```bash
   git log origin/main..HEAD --oneline
   ```

5. **Conflict preview** — dry-run merge, always abort after
   ```bash
   git merge --no-commit --no-ff origin/main
   git merge --abort
   ```

## Reading Results

- **Behind main** → rebase before continuing: `git pull --rebase origin main`
- **CONFLICT detected** → resolve conflicts before pushing
- **Ahead with no conflicts** → branch is ready

> Replace `main` with `master` or `develop` depending on the project's base branch.