git-worktree-tidy

Routine hygiene for bare-repo + worktree layouts. Fetches origin, prunes gone branches and orphaned worktrees, and fast-forwards important local branches.

When to use

User asks to "fetch prune", "clean up stale branches/worktrees", or "update main/dev to latest" in a worktree-based repo.

Hard Rules

• All destructive actions (worktree remove, branch delete) require user confirmation. Present the full list and wait.
• Never force-delete a worktree with uncommitted changes without explicit approval. Flag dirty worktrees separately.
• Use

  --ff-only

  when updating branches. If ff-only fails, stop and ask.
• Operate from the

  .bare

  directory (or repo root) for branch/worktree management commands.

Workflow

1) Locate the bare root

Determine the bare repo directory:

• If cwd contains

  .bare/

  , use it
• Otherwise:

  git rev-parse --git-common-dir

All branch and worktree management commands run from this directory.

2) Fetch + prune

git fetch --prune origin

Report what was pruned (deleted remote-tracking branches, updated refs).

3) Discover stale branches

git branch -vv | grep ': gone]'

Collect branch names whose upstream is gone.

4) Discover stale worktrees

git worktree list
git worktree prune --dry-run

Cross-reference worktrees against the gone-branch list. Check each stale worktree for dirty state:

cd <worktree-path> && git status --short

Categorize:

• Clean + gone: safe to remove
• Dirty + gone: flag for user review
• Prunable metadata: orphaned worktree entries (directory already gone)

5) Confirm deletions

Present a summary table:

Stale worktrees to remove:
  <path> (<branch>) [clean]
  <path> (<branch>) [dirty — N uncommitted changes]

Stale branches to delete:
  <branch>

Prunable worktree metadata:
  <entry>

Wait for user confirmation before proceeding.

6) Remove stale worktrees

For each confirmed worktree:

git worktree remove <name>

If removal fails (dirty), report and skip unless user approved force.

7) Delete stale branches

git branch -D <branch1> <branch2> ...

8) Prune worktree metadata

git worktree prune -v

9) Update important branches

Identify which branches have dedicated worktrees for

main

,

dev

, or other important branches (user may specify). For each:

cd <worktree-path> && git pull --ff-only origin <branch>

If ff-only fails, report the divergence and ask for guidance.

10) Final status

Show a summary: what was removed, what was updated, any items skipped.