merged-worktree-cleanup

name	merged-worktree-cleanup
description	Safe cleanup pattern for stale local worktrees after branches land in main
domain	version-control
confidence	high
source	extracted from Ripley cleanup session

Context

Use this when the repo has multiple local worktrees and you need to remove branches that have already landed in main without discarding meaningful local work.

Patterns

Trust origin/main First

Fetch with prune, compare main...origin/main, and only fast-forward local main if it has zero unique commits. Do not classify branches against a stale local main.

Delete by Verified Merge State

After local main is current, delete a worktree branch only if git merge-base --is-ancestor <branch> main succeeds. Use the same rule for standalone local branches.

Dirty Worktree Triage

If a merged worktree is dirty, inspect the status before deleting it. Force-remove only when the remaining dirt is disposable workspace noise such as bin/, obj/, or incidental local solution-file churn; otherwise keep the worktree and report the blocker.

Recover Durable Docs Separately

If the remaining value is governance, policy, or documentation, recover that slice on a fresh branch from current main instead of reviving the stale implementation branch. Pair policy files with the guide/README updates that explain the same seam so the restored branch reads as one coherent change, not a grab bag.

Anti-Patterns

• Deleting worktrees based on a stale local main
• Using git branch -d from an unrelated current branch as the only safety check
• Force-removing a dirty worktree before confirming the dirt is disposable