Clean Gone Branches

Clean Gone Branches

Automatically clean up all local git branches that have been deleted from the remote repository (marked as [gone]).

Instructions

Step 1 - List Branches to Identify [gone] Status

Execute this command to see all local branches and their status:

git branch -v

What to look for:

• Branches marked with [gone] have been deleted from the remote
• Branches with a + prefix have associated worktrees and will be skipped (must be cleaned up manually)
• Branches without a + prefix can be safely deleted
• If no branches show [gone], inform the user that no cleanup is needed and STOP

Step 2 - Delete [gone] Branches (Skip Those with Worktrees)

Execute this command to clean up [gone] branches without worktrees:

git branch -v | grep '\[gone\]' | while read line; do
  if [[ $line =~ ^[+] ]]; then
    branch=$(echo "$line" | awk '{print $1}' | sed 's/^+//')
    echo "Skipping $branch (has worktree - remove worktree first)"
  else
    branch=$(echo "$line" | sed 's/^[* ]//' | awk '{print $1}')
    echo "Deleting branch: $branch"
    git branch -D "$branch"
  fi
done

What this does:

1. Finds all branches marked as [gone]
2. For each branch:
   • If it has a + prefix (worktree exists), skip it and warn the user
   • Otherwise, delete the branch using -D (force delete)
3. Provides clear feedback about which branches were deleted and which were skipped

Step 3 - Report Results

After execution, inform the user:

• How many branches were deleted
• How many branches were skipped (with worktrees)
• If any branches were skipped, suggest they need manual worktree cleanup
• Confirmation that cleanup is complete

If no branches were marked as [gone], report that no cleanup was needed.

Important Rules

• DO NOT attempt to delete branches with worktrees - skip them and warn the user
• Use git branch -D (force delete) because [gone] branches are already merged/​deleted remotely
• Show clear feedback for each operation (deleted vs skipped)
• Inform users that skipped branches require manual worktree cleanup first

Expected Output

Example with branches to clean:

Deleting branch: fix/​obsolete-fix
Skipping feature/​old-feature (has worktree - remove worktree first)
Deleting branch: chore/​cleanup-task

Cleanup complete:
- Deleted 2 branches marked as [gone]
- Skipped 1 branch with worktree

Note: Branches with worktrees must be cleaned up manually using 'git worktree remove' before the branch can be deleted.

Example with no cleanup needed:

No branches marked as [gone] found. Your local repository is already clean.

Example with only worktree branches:

Skipping feature/​old-feature (has worktree - remove worktree first)
Skipping fix/​another-branch (has worktree - remove worktree first)

Cleanup complete:
- Deleted 0 branches marked as [gone]
- Skipped 2 branches with worktrees

Note: Branches with worktrees must be cleaned up manually using 'git worktree remove' before the branch can be deleted.

Error Handling

If any command fails:

• Show the error message to the user
• Explain what went wrong
• Continue processing other branches if possible
• Report which branches were successfully cleaned and which failed