git:20260223.bffe3ae to git:20260224.494a754

---

name: git-cleanup

description: >-

Identifies and removes stale git branches, orphaned remote branches, and

unused worktrees. Cross-references with Linear (or other integrations) to

check issue status before deleting. Use when your repos have accumulated

stale branches and you want to tidy up.

argument-hint: [repo-path or natural language instructions]

disable-model-invocation: true

context: fork

allowed-tools:

- AskUserQuestion

- Bash

- Read

- Glob

- Grep

- mcp__claude_ai_Linear__list_issues

- mcp__claude_ai_Linear__get_issue

- mcp__claude_ai_Linear__list_projects

---

# Git Cleanup

Intelligently identify and remove stale branches, orphaned remotes, and unused worktrees — with confirmation at every step.

## Preferences

Before starting, use the `Read` tool to read `~/.claude/skills/git-cleanup/preferences.md`. If the file does not exist, treat as "no preferences set".

## Context

## Command routing

Check `$ARGUMENTS`:

- **`help`** → display help then stop

- **`config`** → interactive setup then stop

- **`reset`** → delete `~/.claude/skills/git-cleanup/preferences.md`, confirm, stop

- **anything else** → parse as natural language or repo path, then run

### Help

```

Git Cleanup — Smart cleanup of stale branches, remotes, and worktrees

Usage:

/git-cleanup Auto-detect repos, clean everything

/git-cleanup ai-assemble Clean a specific repo

/git-cleanup just local branches Natural language — local only

/git-cleanup dry run Show what would be deleted

/git-cleanup skip linear Skip Linear issue checks

/git-cleanup ai-assemble remote only Clean only remote branches

/git-cleanup config Set preferences

/git-cleanup reset Clear preferences

/git-cleanup help This help

Smart detection:

- If inside a git repo, uses that repo

- If in a parent directory, scans for git repos and lets you pick

- If one repo found, uses it automatically

Current preferences:

(shown above under Preferences)

```

### Config

Use `AskUserQuestion` to collect:

- **Q1: Protected branches** — branches to never delete (default: `main, all-demos, develop`)

- **Q2: Linear integration** — Enable Linear issue status checks? (default: Yes)

- **Q3: Ticket pattern** — regex to extract ticket IDs from branch names (default: `AIS-\d+`)

- **Q4: Auto-confirm merged** — Auto-delete branches already merged into base? (default: No — always ask)

Save to `~/.claude/skills/git-cleanup/preferences.md`.

### Reset

Delete `~/.claude/skills/git-cleanup/preferences.md` and confirm: "Preferences cleared. Using defaults."

## First-time detection

If no preferences file exists, show:

> First time using /git-cleanup? Run `/git-cleanup config` to set defaults, or just continue with sensible defaults.

Then proceed with defaults:

- Protected branches: `main`, `all-demos`, `develop`

- Linear integration: enabled

- Ticket pattern: `AIS-\d+`

- Auto-confirm merged: no

## Workflow

### Step 1: Parse arguments and find repos

Parse `$ARGUMENTS` as natural language. Extract:

- **Repo path** — explicit path, or auto-detect

- **Scope modifiers** — "local only", "remote only", "worktrees only"

- **Dry run** — "dry run", "preview", "just show"

- **Skip integrations** — "skip linear", "no linear", "no ticket check"

**Smart repo detection:**

1. If `$ARGUMENTS` contains a path or directory name → use it

2. If currently inside a git repo (`.git` exists) → use current directory

3. If in a parent directory → scan child directories for `.git`

- If exactly one repo found → use it automatically

- If multiple found → ask user which to clean (or "all")

- If none found → error and stop

### Step 2: Gather git state

For each repo, collect:

```bash

# Protected branches (from prefs or defaults)

PROTECTED="main|all-demos|develop"

# Local branches and their merge status

git branch --format='%(refname:short) %(upstream:track)'

git branch --merged main

git branch --merged all-demos

# Remote branches

git branch -r --format='%(refname:short)'

# Worktrees

git worktree list

# Stale remote tracking

git remote prune origin --dry-run

```

### Step 3: Categorize branches

Sort every branch into one of these categories:

**Safe to delete (green):**

- Local branches fully merged into a protected branch

- Local branches with `[gone]` upstream (remote deleted)

- Remote branches with no corresponding local branch AND no open PR

**Probably safe (yellow):**

- Branches matching a ticket pattern where the Linear issue is Done/Canceled/Duplicate

- Branches older than 90 days with no recent commits

- Worktrees pointing to branches in the "safe" category

**Needs review (red):**

- Branches with unmerged commits

- Branches matching a ticket pattern where the Linear issue is still open/in-progress

- The current branch (never auto-delete)

- Protected branches (never delete)

### Step 4: Check Linear context (unless skipped)

For branches matching the ticket pattern (e.g., `mostafa/ais-921-...` → `AIS-921`):

1. Extract ticket ID from branch name using the configured pattern

2. Use `mcp__claude_ai_Linear__get_issue` to fetch issue status

3. Map status:

- **Done, Canceled, Duplicate** → "probably safe" (issue is closed)

- **In Progress, In Review, Todo** → "needs review" (issue is active)

- **Not found** → "needs review" (can't confirm)

Present the Linear context alongside each branch.

### Step 5: Present cleanup plan

Show a categorized summary:

```

Git Cleanup Plan — ai-assemble

SAFE TO DELETE (merged/gone):

Local:

- feature/old-thing (merged into main)

- fix/typo (remote gone)

Remote:

- origin/feature/old-thing (no local, no PR)

PROBABLY SAFE (closed tickets):

Local:

- mostafa/ais-800-old-task (AIS-800: Done ✓)

Worktrees:

- .pilot-worktree (branch deleted)

NEEDS REVIEW:

- mostafa/ais-922-refactor (AIS-922: In Progress)

PROTECTED (never touched):

- main, all-demos, develop

```

If `--dry-run` / "dry run" was specified, show this plan and stop.

### Step 6: Confirm and execute

Use `AskUserQuestion` to confirm each category:

**Q1:** "Delete N safe-to-delete branches?" → Yes all / Pick individually / Skip

**Q2:** "Delete N probably-safe branches?" → Yes all / Pick individually / Skip

**Q3:** "Any needs-review branches to delete?" → Pick individually / Skip all

For each confirmed deletion:

- Local branch: `git branch -d <branch>` (safe delete) or `git branch -D <branch>` if needed

- Remote branch: `git push origin --delete <branch>`

- Worktree: `git worktree remove <path>`

- Stale remotes: `git remote prune origin`

Report each deletion as it happens.

### Step 7: Report results

```

Git Cleanup Complete — ai-assemble

Local branches deleted: 3

Remote branches deleted: 2

Worktrees removed: 1

Stale remotes pruned: yes

Skipped (needs review): 2

Protected: 3

```

## Extensibility

The skill is designed to work with any ticketing integration. The core pattern is:

1. Extract ticket ID from branch name using a configurable regex

2. Look up ticket status via an integration (Linear MCP, GitHub issues, Jira, etc.)

3. Map status to safe/unsafe categories

To add a new integration:

- Update config to allow selecting the integration type

- Add the appropriate MCP tools to `allowed-tools`

- Add a status lookup step in Step 4

## Principles

- **Never delete without confirmation** — every deletion is explicitly confirmed by the user, even "safe" ones (unless auto-confirm is configured).

- **Never touch protected branches** — main, all-demos, develop, and any configured protected branches are untouchable.

- **Context over heuristics** — prefer Linear/ticketing status over age-based heuristics when deciding if a branch is safe to delete.

- **Show the reasoning** — always explain WHY a branch is categorized as safe/probably-safe/needs-review.

- **Graceful without integrations** — if Linear is unavailable or skipped, fall back to git-only heuristics (merge status, remote tracking, age).