git-merge-cleanup

name	git-merge-cleanup
description	Merge a GitHub PR (or confirm already merged), delete the feature branch, checkout main, and sync local. Use when user says merge the PR, PR merged clean up, switch back to main and delete the feat branch.

Git Merge + Cleanup

After a feature PR is ready or already merged: merge if needed, delete the feature branch, return local repo to updated main.

Does not implement features or open PRs. For ship/PR creation use git-ship-pr. For Trellis archive/journal use trellis-finish-work (usually already done on the feature branch before merge).

When to use

• User: "merged, switch back to main and delete the feat branch"
• User: "merge the PR, delete branch, back to main"
• User: "are you able to merge the pr and clean up"

Step 1: Identify PR and branch

git branch --show-current
git status --porcelain
gh pr status
# or explicit:
gh pr view <number> --json number,state,mergeable,headRefName,baseRefName,url,title

If user said "merged" without a number, resolve the latest PR for the current branch or the branch they named:

gh pr list --head "<branch>" --state all --limit 1

If the working tree is dirty with unrelated changes, warn and ask before reset --hard / checkout.

Step 2: Merge (if still open)

gh pr view <n> --json state,mergeable,title,url

State	Action
OPEN + mergeable	gh pr merge <n> --merge --delete-branch (or --squash if user prefers)
OPEN + not mergeable	Report conflicts; stop
MERGED	Skip merge; still do local cleanup
CLOSED unmerged	Report; do not pretend success

Default merge method: merge commit (--merge), matching this repo’s recent PR history. Use --squash only if user asks.

--delete-branch deletes the remote head branch when supported.

Step 3: Local main sync

git fetch --prune origin
git checkout main
git pull --ff-only origin main

If pull fails due to ref lock / non-ff:

git fetch origin main
git checkout main
git reset --hard origin/main

Only use reset --hard when the user wants a clean match to remote and there is no precious local-only work on main.

Step 4: Delete local feature branch

git branch -d <feature-branch> 2>/dev/null || git branch -D <feature-branch>

• Prefer -d (safe). Use -D only if branch is unmerged and user confirms discard.
• If branch already gone (not found), continue.

Remote delete if still present and not removed by gh pr merge --delete-branch:

git push origin --delete <feature-branch> 2>/dev/null || true

"remote ref does not exist" is OK.

Step 5: Verify

git status
git branch --show-current
git log --oneline -5
git branch -a | grep <feature-slug> || echo "feature branch gone"

Expect:

• On main
• Clean working tree (unless user had other WIP)
• In sync with origin/main
• Feature branch absent locally (and preferably remotely)

Step 6: Report

PR: <url> → MERGED
Local: main @ <short-hash>
Branches removed: <name> (local/remote)

Optional: if a parent Trellis task is complete (all children archived), mention they can archive the parent with task.py archive — do not auto-archive parents unless user asks.

Anti-patterns

• Merging without checking mergeable / CI when user did not waive checks
• reset --hard with uncommitted user work
• Deleting main
• Leaving local feature branch after "clean up" when delete was requested
• Creating a new Trellis task for merge cleanup (simple ops; no task unless user wants one)