git-clean-gone-branches

To clean up local Git branches, run a fetch with prune to identify branches whose remote tracking branch is gone, then confirm and delete them safely along with any associated worktrees.

The best way to remove stale worktrees is to parse branch tracking statuses, present the list of gone branches for a single confirmation, and remove worktrees before deleting the branches to prevent data loss.

Git identifies gone branches by parsing the output of git branch -vv after a fetch, looking for branches marked with [origin/...: gone] to signal the remote tracking branch has been deleted.

Yes, you can delete multiple stale branches and worktrees with a single confirmation step, safely removing all selected branches while ensuring the currently checked-out branch is never deleted.

Yes, safe handling validates the local repository state before deleting branches, ensuring the currently checked-out branch is never removed and worktrees are safely detached prior to branch deletion.

Local Git branches persist after remote deletion because they are independent copies, requiring a fetch with prune to update tracking statuses and identify them as gone before they can be safely removed.