Git Worktree Clean Skill

Git Worktree Clean

Batch cleanup of stale git worktrees. A Python script lists worktrees, classifies each as merged / unmerged / protected, removes the safe ones, and reports reclaimed space. Disk accounting is language-neutral — it skips symlinks (e.g. a shared node_modules) and .git, with no stack-specific excludes.

Script

scripts/git_worktree_clean.py is a standalone PEP 723 script (run via uv, no install). It is the entire engine of this skill.

Inputs: the optional flags --dry-run, --all, --force (see below). It reads the repo from the current working directory — no path argument.
Reads: git worktree list --porcelain, the main branch from origin/HEAD (fallback main), and git merge-base --is-ancestor to test whether each branch has landed.
Writes (only on a real run): removes eligible worktrees with git worktree remove, deletes their branches (git branch -d/-D), then git worktree prune.
Output: a Rich report to stdout — removed worktrees with per-worktree size, kept-unmerged and kept-protected lists, and total space reclaimed/potential. Exit code 1 if run outside a git repository, else 0.

For the full classification rules, flag semantics, disk-accounting details, and failure modes, see references/cleanup-semantics.md.

Steps

Always preview first:

uv run "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/git_worktree_clean.py" --dry-run

Then execute:

uv run "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/scripts/git_worktree_clean.py" [--all] [--force]

The script:

skips the main worktree and any worktree on a protected branch (main master develop staging production);
removes worktrees whose branch is merged into the main branch and deletes the local branch (git branch -d);
keeps unmerged worktrees unless --all is given (then git branch -D);
prunes stale references with git worktree prune.

Flags

| Flag | Effect | | ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | | --dry-run | Preview what would be cleaned; make no changes | | --all | Also remove unmerged worktrees (force-deletes their branch) | | --force | Skip git's dirty-state guard when removing a worktree |

Database branch cleanup

Worktree removal does not delete associated database branches. If the work used a branchable database, follow the matching cleanup command in ../git-worktree/references/database-branching.md.

Common mistakes

Running --force without --dry-run first — always preview.
Losing unmerged work with --all — it force-deletes unmerged branches. Triage individually with /git-worktree-remove first.
Forgetting database branch cleanup — the worktree goes, the DB branch stays until you delete it.

The full failure-mode list (detached-HEAD worktrees swept by --all, dirty worktrees and the --force guard, stale locks) lives in references/cleanup-semantics.md.

Usage

/git-worktree-clean --dry-run
/git-worktree-clean
/git-worktree-clean --all

Flags: $ARGUMENTS

Reference Files

references/cleanup-semantics.md — classification (protected/merged/unmerged), exact flag behavior, safety rules, disk accounting, and failure modes.
../git-worktree/references/database-branching.md — database branch cleanup commands (shared with git-worktree; not duplicated here).

Related skills

This skill is the cleanup stage of the Worktree Lifecycle Suite. A typical flow runs left to right:

/git-worktree — create an isolated worktree for a feature.
/git-worktree-clean (this skill) — batch-remove merged worktrees and reclaim disk once work has landed.
/git-worktree-remove — remove a single worktree deliberately; use this to triage an unmerged one before reaching for --all here.
/git-worktree-status — inspect current worktrees and their branch/merge state.
/worktree-doctor — diagnose and repair stuck worktrees (stale locks, orphaned references) when a remove fails.

Agent Skills: Git Worktree Clean

Install this agent skill to your local

Skill Files