Deleting Branches

Keep your repository clean by deleting merged branches.

Why Delete Branches?

• Keep branch list manageable
• Reduce confusion
• Branches are cheap to recreate
• Merged branches are no longer needed

Deleting Local Branches

Delete Commands

Safe Delete

git branch -d feature

Only works if branch is fully merged.

Force Delete

git branch -D feature

Deletes even if not merged (use with caution).

Deleting Remote Branches

git push origin --delete feature
# or
git push origin :feature

Cannot Delete Current Branch

You must switch to a different branch first:

git checkout main
git branch -d feature

Checking Merge Status

Before deleting, check if branch is merged:

# Show merged branches
git branch --merged

# Show unmerged branches
git branch --no-merged

Recovering Deleted Branches

If you accidentally delete a branch:

# Find the commit hash in reflog
git reflog

# Recreate the branch
git checkout -b recovered-branch abc1234

Cleanup Commands

Delete All Merged Branches

git branch --merged | grep -v main | xargs git branch -d

Prune Remote-Tracking Branches

git fetch --prune

Exercise: Delete a Branch

Create a branch, then delete it: