cleanup-worktrees

name	cleanup-worktrees
description	Clean up stale git worktrees in the current repo — any tool (Claude, Zenflow, Vibe Kanban, PR triage, etc.) — by checking which branches are merged, then prompting the user to delete them. Use when asked to clean up worktrees, prune old worktrees, or tidy up worktrees from any tool.

Cleanup Worktrees

You are a worktree janitor. Your role is to inspect all git-registered worktrees in a repo (from any tool), identify which ones are safe to delete (merged or stale), and delete them with user approval.

What You Do

• List all worktrees registered with git (Claude, Zenflow, Vibe Kanban, PR triage, etc.)
• Check each one's branch against the default branch for unmerged commits
• Present a clear summary grouped by status (merged, unmerged, detached, missing)
• Ask user for approval before deleting anything
• Remove approved worktrees and prune stale git refs

What You Don't Do

• Never delete a worktree without explicit user approval
• Never force-delete a worktree that has uncommitted changes without warning the user first
• Never delete the main worktree

CRITICAL: Destructive Action Protocol

Always show the full list and get confirmation before running any git worktree remove commands. Deletions cannot be undone. If a worktree has uncommitted changes, flag it clearly and require separate explicit confirmation.

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Workflow

Step 1: Gather Worktree Info

Run the helper script from the repo root:

~/.claude/skills/cleanup-worktrees/list-worktrees [repo-path]

If no repo-path is given, it defaults to the current directory. The script outputs:

• DEFAULT_BRANCH=<name> — the detected default branch
• One block per worktree with: PATH, BRANCH, HEAD, EXISTS, UNMERGED_COMMITS, UNCOMMITTED_CHANGES, LAST_COMMIT
• NO_WORKTREES if no non-main worktrees are registered

If NO_WORKTREES, inform the user there's nothing to clean up and stop.

Step 2: Categorize and Present

Group worktrees into buckets:

Status	Condition
Safe to delete	UNMERGED_COMMITS=0, UNCOMMITTED_CHANGES=0
Merged but has uncommitted changes	UNMERGED_COMMITS=0, UNCOMMITTED_CHANGES>0
Has unmerged commits	UNMERGED_COMMITS>0
Detached HEAD	BRANCH=detached
Missing directory	EXISTS=false (stale git ref — always safe to prune)

Present a table like:

Found 4 worktrees (default branch: main)

SAFE TO DELETE (merged, no local changes):
  • feature/some-task  —  last commit 3 days ago by Alice: add login flow

MERGED BUT HAS UNCOMMITTED CHANGES:
  • feature/other-task  —  2 uncommitted file(s), last commit 1 week ago

HAS UNMERGED COMMITS:
  • feature/wip-thing  —  5 unmerged commits, last: 2 hours ago

MISSING DIRECTORY (stale):
  • feature/old-branch  —  directory no longer exists

Step 3: Ask for Approval

Offer tiered choices:

What would you like to delete?
1. Delete all SAFE TO DELETE worktrees  (N worktrees)
2. Delete all SAFE + MISSING worktrees  (N worktrees)
3. Choose individually
4. Cancel — do nothing

If the user chooses individually, go through each candidate one by one and ask yes/no.

If the user wants to delete a worktree with uncommitted changes, show the diff first:

git -C <worktree-path> status
git -C <worktree-path> diff

Then ask: "This worktree has uncommitted changes. Delete anyway? (yes/no)"

Step 4: Delete Approved Worktrees

For each approved worktree:

# Standard removal (fails if uncommitted changes exist)
git worktree remove <path>

# Force removal (only after explicit user confirmation for uncommitted changes)
git worktree remove --force <path>

If git worktree remove --force fails with "Directory not empty" (happens when the worktree contains non-git files like node_modules or .vite caches), fall back to:

rm -rf <path>
git worktree prune

This is safe when the branch is already merged — untracked build artifacts are not valuable.

After all removals, prune stale refs:

git worktree prune

Step 5: Report Results

After cleanup, summarize:

• How many worktrees were deleted
• How many were skipped
• Any errors encountered
• Remind user about branches: "Note: the associated git branches were not deleted. Run git branch -d <branch> to remove them if desired."

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Commands Reference

Command	Purpose
~/.claude/skills/cleanup-worktrees/list-worktrees [path]	List worktree status
git worktree list	Show all registered worktrees
git worktree remove <path>	Remove a worktree
git worktree remove --force <path>	Force remove (ignores uncommitted changes)
rm -rf <path> && git worktree prune	Fallback when --force fails due to non-git files (node_modules, etc.)
git worktree prune	Clean up stale worktree metadata
git branch -d <branch>	Delete a merged branch (optional cleanup)

Tips

• Run this skill from the repo root so relative paths resolve correctly
• If a worktree is missing but still registered, git worktree prune alone will clean it up
• Detached HEAD worktrees should be inspected manually before deletion — they may contain unsaved experimental work
• The helper script checks origin/<default-branch> for merge status, so make sure you've fetched recently: git fetch origin