name: speckit-worktree-clean description: Remove stale or merged worktrees and reclaim disk space compatibility: Requires spec-kit project structure with .specify/ directory metadata: author: github-spec-kit source: worktree:commands/speckit.worktree.clean.md

Clean Worktrees

Remove worktrees for branches that have been merged or are no longer needed. Safely cleans up .worktrees/ directory entries and reclaims disk space.

User Input

$ARGUMENTS

You MUST consider the user input before proceeding (if not empty). The user may specify a branch name to clean (e.g., "005-api-gateway"), "merged" to clean all merged worktrees, or "all" to clean everything.

Prerequisites

1. Verify a spec-kit project exists by checking for .specify/ directory
2. Verify git is available and the project is a git repository
3. Verify .worktrees/ directory exists and contains worktrees

Outline

1. Scan worktrees: List all worktrees and classify them:

   • Merged: Branch has been merged into main/master — safe to remove
   • Orphaned: Branch has been deleted but worktree still exists — safe to remove
   • Stale: No commits for 30+ days, not merged — warn before removing
   • Active: Recent activity, not merged — refuse to remove unless forced

2. Build cleanup plan: Based on user input, determine what to remove:

   User Input	Action
   Specific branch name	Remove that worktree only (with confirmation)
   merged	Remove all merged worktrees
   stale	Remove all stale worktrees (30+ days inactive)
   all	Remove all worktrees except main (with strong warning)
   No input	Remove merged and orphaned only (safest default)

3. Present cleanup plan: Show a preview before making any changes:

   # Worktree Cleanup Plan
   
   | #   | Branch          | Status      | Action            | Disk Size |
   | --- | --------------- | ----------- | ----------------- | --------- |
   | 1   | 005-api-gateway | ✅ Merged   | Remove            | ~45 MB    |
   | 2   | 002-old-feature | ❌ Orphaned | Remove            | ~32 MB    |
   | 3   | 004-chat-system | 🟡 Idle     | Keep (not merged) | ~41 MB    |
   
   **Will remove**: 2 worktrees (~77 MB)
   **Will keep**: 1 worktree
   

4. Confirm with user: Ask for explicit confirmation before proceeding. Removing worktrees with uncommitted changes is destructive.

5. Check for uncommitted changes: Before removing each worktree:

   • Run git -C .worktrees/{branch}/ status --porcelain to check for uncommitted work
   • If uncommitted changes exist, warn the user and skip unless they confirm
   • List the uncommitted files so the user knows what would be lost

6. Execute cleanup: For each worktree to remove:

   • Run git worktree remove .worktrees/{branch-name} to safely remove
   • If the worktree is locked, run git worktree unlock .worktrees/{branch-name} first
   • Remove the entry from .worktrees/ directory
   • Run git worktree prune after all removals to clean up stale references

7. Report: Output a summary:

   • How many worktrees were removed
   • How much disk space was reclaimed (approximate)
   • How many worktrees remain
   • Any worktrees that were skipped (with reason)

Rules

• Never remove without confirmation — always show the plan first and wait for approval
• Never remove the main working directory — only clean feature worktrees in .worktrees/
• Warn about uncommitted changes — refuse to remove worktrees with uncommitted work unless user explicitly confirms
• Safe defaults — with no input, only remove merged and orphaned worktrees
• Prune after cleanup — always run git worktree prune to clean up stale administrative files
• Never delete branches — removing a worktree does not delete the git branch, only the working directory