| name | post-merge-prune |
| description | Post-merge branch cleanup only. Use after a PR/MR is merged and the local feature branch is stale: prune remote refs and delete local branches already merged into the target branch. |
Skill: post-merge-prune
[!IMPORTANT]
LLM INSTRUCTION: This skill is a deliberate post-merge deletion tool. If the user invokes post-merge-prune, they want stale local branches removed after merge into the intended target branch. Do not offer a menu of options. Do not ask "Dry run or Execute?". Proceed directly.
Use this skill after a PR/MR has been merged into its intended branch, typically main, to remove stale remote-tracking refs and delete the matching local branches because the work is done.
Goal
- Switch to the intended target branch (
main by default).
- Prune deleted remote branches.
- Delete local branches that are already merged into the target branch.
- Optionally remove matching workflow task folders.
Workflow
Step 1: Go to the target branch
git checkout main (or the intended merge target)- If the tree is dirty, stash first.
Step 2: Prune remote-tracking refs
git remote update origin --prune- This removes local refs for remote branches that were deleted after merge.
Step 3: Delete merged local branches
Iterate through local branches and delete the ones already merged into the target branch:
- Use
git branch -d <branch> for normal merges.
- If
-d refuses but git log main..[branch] is empty, the branch was squash-merged; use git branch -D <branch>.
- Never delete the active target branch.
Step 4: Optional workflow cleanup
If a deleted branch has a matching .workflow/tasks/* folder, remove it.
If .workflow/active_task.json points to a deleted task, clear it.
Step 5: Verify
git branch -a should no longer show deleted refs.git branch --merged main should only show branches you intend to keep..workflow/tasks/ should not contain deleted tasks.
Guardrails
- RESOLUTION OVER REPORTING: If merge status is unclear, check
git branch --merged main or git log main..branch and resolve it.
- NO DRY RUNS BY DEFAULT: Execute the cleanup unless the user explicitly asks for a preview.
- SMART DELETE: If a branch is squash-merged, delete it with
git branch -D after confirming there are no unique commits left.
- ACTIVE BRANCH PROTECTION: Do not delete the current branch.
- UNMERGED WORK: If a branch has unique commits and no remote, ask once before force-deleting.
Output Contract
Return a concise report:
- Cleaned: deleted branches / task folders
- Kept: branches still in use
- Working Branch: the branch left checked out (should be
main)
