Safely analyzes and cleans up local git branches and worktrees by categorizing them as merged, squash-merged, superseded, or active work.
From git-cleanupnpx claudepluginhub gebl/anvil-skill-marketplace --plugin git-cleanupThis skill is limited to using the following tools:
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Details PluginEval's skill quality evaluation: 3 layers (static, LLM judge), 10 dimensions, rubrics, formulas, anti-patterns, badges. Use to interpret scores, improve triggering, calibrate thresholds.
Safely clean up accumulated git worktrees and local branches by categorizing them into: safely deletable (merged), potentially related (similar themes), and active work (keep).
Never delete anything without explicit user confirmation. This skill uses a gated workflow where users must approve each step before any destructive action.
IMPORTANT: git branch -d will ALWAYS fail for squash-merged branches because git cannot detect that the work was incorporated. This is expected behavior, not an error.
When you identify a branch as squash-merged:
git branch -D (force delete) from the startgit branch -d first and then ask again for -D - this wastes user confirmationsgit branch -D for squash-merged branchesMANDATORY: Before categorizing individual branches, group them by name prefix:
# Extract common prefixes from branch names
# e.g., feature/auth-*, feature/api-*, fix/login-*
Branches sharing a prefix (e.g., feature/api, feature/api-v2, feature/api-refactor) are almost certainly related iterations. Analyze them as a group:
Present related branches together with a clear recommendation, not scattered across categories.
Don't rely on simple keyword matching. For [gone] branches:
# 1. Get the branch's commits that aren't in default branch
git log --oneline "$default_branch".."$branch"
# 2. Search default branch for PRs that incorporated this work
# Search by: branch name, commit message keywords, PR numbers
git log --oneline "$default_branch" | grep -iE "(branch-name|keyword|#[0-9]+)"
# 3. For related branch groups, trace which PRs merged which work
git log --oneline "$default_branch" | grep -iE "(#[0-9]+)" | head -20
Gather ALL information upfront before any categorization:
# Get default branch name
default_branch=$(git symbolic-ref refs/remotes/origin/HEAD \
2>/dev/null | sed 's@^refs/remotes/origin/@@' || echo "main")
# Protected branches - never analyze or delete
protected='^(main|master|develop|release/.*)$'
# List all local branches with tracking info
git branch -vv
# List all worktrees
git worktree list
# Fetch and prune to sync remote state
git fetch --prune
# Get merged branches (into default branch)
git branch --merged "$default_branch"
# Get recent PR merge history (squash-merge detection)
git log --oneline "$default_branch" | grep -iE "#[0-9]+" | head -30
# For EACH non-protected branch, get unique commits and sync status
for branch in $(git branch --format='%(refname:short)' \
| grep -vE "$protected"); do
echo "=== $branch ==="
echo "Commits not in $default_branch:"
git log --oneline "$default_branch".."$branch" 2>/dev/null \
| head -5
echo "Commits not pushed to remote:"
git log --oneline "origin/$branch".."$branch" 2>/dev/null \
| head -5 || echo "(no remote tracking)"
done
Note on branch names: Git branch names can contain characters that break shell expansion. Always quote "$branch" in commands.
Do this BEFORE individual categorization.
Identify branch groups by shared prefixes:
# List branches and extract prefixes
git branch --format='%(refname:short)' | sed 's/-[^-]*$//' | sort | uniq -c | sort -rn
For each group with 2+ branches:
SUPERSEDED requires evidence, not just shared prefix:
Example analysis for feature/api-* branches:
### Related Branch Group: feature/api-*
| Branch | Commits | PR Merged | Status |
|--------|---------|-----------|--------|
| feature/api | 12 | #29 (initial API) | Superseded - work in main |
| feature/api-v2 | 8 | #45 (API improvements) | Superseded - work in main |
| feature/api-refactor | 5 | #67 (refactor) | Superseded - work in main |
| feature/api-final | 4 | None found | Superseded by above PRs |
**Recommendation:** All 4 branches can be deleted - work incorporated via PRs #29, #45, #67
For branches NOT in a related group, categorize individually:
Is branch merged into default branch?
├─ YES → SAFE_TO_DELETE (use -d)
└─ NO → Is tracking a remote?
├─ YES → Remote deleted? ([gone])
│ ├─ YES → Was work squash-merged? (check main for PR)
│ │ ├─ YES → SQUASH_MERGED (use -D)
│ │ └─ NO → REMOTE_GONE (needs review)
│ └─ NO → Local ahead of remote? (check: git log origin/<branch>..<branch>)
│ ├─ YES (has output) → UNPUSHED_WORK (keep)
│ └─ NO (empty output) → SYNCED_WITH_REMOTE (keep)
└─ NO → Has unique commits?
├─ YES → LOCAL_WORK (keep)
└─ NO → SAFE_TO_DELETE (use -d)
Category definitions:
| Category | Meaning | Delete Command |
|---|---|---|
| SAFE_TO_DELETE | Merged into default branch | git branch -d |
| SQUASH_MERGED | Work incorporated via squash merge | git branch -D |
| SUPERSEDED | Part of a group, work verified in main via PR or in newer branch | git branch -D |
| REMOTE_GONE | Remote deleted, work NOT found in main | Review needed |
| UNPUSHED_WORK | Has commits not pushed to remote | Keep |
| LOCAL_WORK | Untracked branch with unique commits | Keep |
| SYNCED_WITH_REMOTE | Up to date with remote | Keep |
Check ALL worktrees and current directory for uncommitted changes:
# For each worktree path
git -C <worktree-path> status --porcelain
# For current directory
git status --porcelain
Display warnings prominently:
WARNING: ../proj-auth has uncommitted changes:
M src/auth.js
?? new-file.txt
These changes will be LOST if you remove this worktree.
Present everything in ONE comprehensive view. Group related branches together:
## Git Cleanup Analysis
### Related Branch Groups
**Group: feature/api-* (4 branches)**
| Branch | Status | Evidence |
|--------|--------|----------|
| feature/api | Superseded | Work merged in PR #29 |
| feature/api-v2 | Superseded | Work merged in PR #45 |
| feature/api-refactor | Superseded | Work merged in PR #67 |
| feature/api-final | Superseded | Older iteration, diverged |
Recommendation: Delete all 4 (work is in main)
---
### Individual Branches
**Safe to Delete (merged with -d)**
| Branch | Merged Into |
|--------|-------------|
| fix/typo | main |
**Safe to Delete (squash-merged, requires -D)**
| Branch | Merged As |
|--------|-----------|
| feature/login | PR #42 |
**Needs Review ([gone] remotes, no PR found)**
| Branch | Last Commit |
|--------|-------------|
| experiment/old | abc1234 "WIP something" |
**Keep (active work)**
| Branch | Status |
|--------|--------|
| wip/new-feature | 5 unpushed commits |
### Worktrees
| Path | Branch | Status |
|------|--------|--------|
| ../proj-auth | feature/auth | STALE (merged) |
---
**Summary:**
- 4 related branches (feature/api-*) - recommend delete all
- 1 merged branch - safe to delete
- 1 squash-merged branch - safe to delete
- 1 needs review
- 1 to keep
Which would you like to clean up?
Use AskUserQuestion with clear options:
Do not proceed until user responds.
Before presenting commands, validate branch names: Check each branch name against ^[a-zA-Z0-9._/-]+$. If any branch name contains characters outside this set (semicolons, backticks, $, parentheses, spaces, quotes, pipes, ampersands, newlines), warn the user prominently — these are unusual in branch names and could indicate a crafted branch name designed to exploit shell expansion. Do not include suspicious branch names in the commands below without explicit user acknowledgment.
Show the EXACT commands that will run, with correct flags. Always quote branch names and use -- to separate flags from arguments:
I will execute:
# Merged branches (safe delete)
git branch -d -- "fix/typo"
# Squash-merged branches (force delete - work is in main via PRs)
git branch -D -- "feature/login"
git branch -D -- "feature/api"
git branch -D -- "feature/api-v2"
git branch -D -- "feature/api-refactor"
git branch -D -- "feature/api-final"
# Worktrees
git worktree remove -- "../proj-auth"
Confirm? (yes/no)
IMPORTANT: This is the ONLY confirmation needed for deletion. Do not add extra confirmations if -D is required.
Run each deletion as a separate command so partial failures don't block remaining deletions. Always quote branch names and use -- to prevent injection. Report the result of each:
git branch -d -- "fix/typo"
git branch -D -- "feature/login"
git branch -D -- "feature/api"
git branch -D -- "feature/api-v2"
git branch -D -- "feature/api-refactor"
git branch -D -- "feature/api-final"
git worktree remove -- "../proj-auth"
If a deletion fails, report the error and continue with remaining deletions.
## Cleanup Complete
### Deleted
- fix/typo
- feature/login
- feature/api
- feature/api-v2
- feature/api-refactor
- feature/api-final
- Worktree: ../proj-auth
### Remaining (4 branches)
| Branch | Status |
|--------|--------|
| main | current |
| wip/new-feature | active work |
| experiment/old | needs review |
/git-cleanup-d for merged, -D for squash-merged/supersededThese are common shortcuts that lead to data loss. Reject them:
| Rationalization | Why It's Wrong |
|---|---|
| "The branch is old, it's probably safe to delete" | Age doesn't indicate merge status. Old branches may contain unmerged work. |
| "I can recover from reflog if needed" | Reflog entries expire. Users often don't know how to use reflog. Don't rely on it as a safety net. |
| "It's just a local branch, nothing important" | Local branches may contain the only copy of work not pushed anywhere. |
| "The PR was merged, so the branch is safe" | Squash merges don't preserve branch history. Verify the specific commits were incorporated. |
"I'll just delete all the [gone] branches" | [gone] only means the remote was deleted. The local branch may have unpushed commits. |
| "The user seems to want everything deleted" | Always present analysis first. Let the user choose what to delete. |
| "The branch has commits not in main, so it has unpushed work" | "Not in main" ≠ "not pushed". A branch can be synced with its remote but not merged to main. Always check git log origin/<branch>..<branch>. |