As a project evolves, developers create and merge multiple branches in their Git repositories. Once these branches are merged and no longer in use, it's good practice to clean them up to keep the repository organized and clutter-free. However, one common pain point is forgetting to remove local branches that have already been merged into the main branch at the origin (the remote repository).

In this post, I'll walk you through a simple process to identify and remove local branches that have already been merged at origin.

Why Clean Up Local Merged Branches?

Before diving into the steps, it’s important to understand why cleaning up these local branches is necessary:

• Reduce clutter: Over time, your list of local branches can get overwhelming, especially when many of them are no longer needed.
• Improved performance: A clean working environment can make navigating and interacting with your Git repository quicker and easier.
• Avoid confusion: Prevent future confusion by removing branches that have already served their purpose, reducing the chances of pushing or rebasing old, unnecessary code.

Steps to Remove Local Merged Branches

1. Open your command-line interface or terminal and navigate to the Git repository directory.

2. Update the remote-tracking branches by running the following command:

  
  git remote prune origin
 

This command will remove any remote-tracking branches that no longer exist on the remote origin.

3. List all local branches along with their corresponding upstream branches to identify the ones that have been removed from the remote origin. Run the command:

  git branch -vv

You should see an updated list with branches marked as `[gone]` for those that have been removed from the remote origin.

4. Delete the branches locally using the git branch command with the -d or -D flag, as mentioned in the previous response. For example:

  
  git branch -d feature/old-branch  
  

or

  
  git branch -D feature/old-branch  

Repeat this step for all the branches you identified as [gone] in step 3.

By following these steps, you'll be able to remove the local Git branches that have been removed from the remote origin.