gwt clean

Remove merged worktrees in batch

Syntax

gwt clean [options]
gwt c [options]

Description

Removes worktrees whose branches have been merged to main. By default, only removes merged worktrees. With the -a flag, removes all worktrees.

This command is useful for cleaning up completed work after branches have been merged.

Aliases

• c - Short alias for clean

Options

-a, --all · flag

Remove all worktrees, not just merged ones. Use with caution as this removes worktrees with uncommitted changes.

Behavior

Default Mode (Merged Only)

1. Scan - Finds all worktrees for current repo
2. Filter - Identifies worktrees with branches merged to main
3. Preview - Shows list of worktrees to be removed
4. Confirm - Asks for confirmation before removal
5. Remove - Removes each worktree and updates registry

All Mode (-a flag)

1. Scan - Finds all worktrees for current repo
2. Preview - Shows all worktrees to be removed
3. Confirm - Asks for confirmation
4. Remove - Removes all worktrees

Interactive Flow

Clean Merged Worktrees

┌  Clean Merged Worktrees
│
│  Will remove:
│  •  feature-auth myapp-feature-auth
│  •  bugfix-404 myapp-bugfix-404
│
◇  Remove 2 worktrees?
│  Yes
│
│  ◆  Removed myapp-feature-auth
│  └  /Users/john/projects/myapp-feature-auth
│
│  ◆  Removed myapp-bugfix-404
│  └  /Users/john/projects/myapp-bugfix-404
│
└  Done  Removed 2 worktrees

Clean All Worktrees

gwt clean -a

┌  Clean All Worktrees
│
│  Will remove:
│  •  feature-auth myapp-feature-auth
│  •  feature-payment myapp-payment
│  •  bugfix-404 myapp-bugfix-404
│
◇  Remove 3 worktrees?
│  Yes
│
└  Done  Removed 3 worktrees

Examples

Clean merged worktrees

gwt clean

Clean all worktrees

gwt clean --all

Using short flags

gwt c -a

Check before cleaning

# See what's merged
gwt status

# Clean merged worktrees
gwt clean

Merge Detection

A worktree is considered “merged” when:

git branch --merged main

Shows the worktree’s branch in the output.

This means:

• All commits from the branch are in main
• The branch can be safely deleted
• The worktree is no longer needed

When No Worktrees to Clean

gwt clean

Output:

│
└  No worktrees to clean

This happens when:

• No worktrees exist
• No worktrees have been merged (in default mode)

Cancellation

You can cancel the operation at the confirmation prompt:

◇  Remove 2 worktrees?
│  No
│
└  Cancelled

No worktrees are removed if you:

• Select “No”
• Press ESC
• Press Ctrl+C

Force Removal

The clean command uses force removal (--force flag with git) to handle:

• Uncommitted changes (when using -a)
• Untracked files
• Modified worktrees

Branch Handling

The clean command only removes worktree directories. Git branches remain in the repository.

To also delete branches:

# Clean merged worktrees
gwt clean

# Delete merged branches
git branch --merged main | grep -v "^\\*" | xargs git branch -d

Or use gwt merge which removes both.

Safety Warnings

Using --all Flag

The -a, --all flag removes ALL worktrees, including those with:

• Uncommitted changes
• Unmerged commits
• Active development

Use gwt status first to review what will be lost.

No Confirmation per Worktree

Unlike gwt remove, the clean command asks for confirmation only once at the beginning. All selected worktrees are removed in batch.

Typical Workflow

After Merging PRs

# Pull merged changes
cd main-repo
git pull

# Check what's merged
gwt status

# Clean merged worktrees
gwt clean

Weekly Cleanup

# See all worktree status
gwt status

# Remove merged ones
gwt clean

# Optionally remove specific unmerged ones
gwt remove

Fresh Start

# Remove everything and start fresh
gwt clean --all

Comparison with Other Commands

Command	Selection	Confirmation	Branches
gwt clean	Merged only	Once	Keeps
gwt clean -a	All	Once	Keeps
gwt remove	Interactive	Per worktree	Keeps
gwt merge	Single	Per operation	Deletes

Exit Codes

• 0 - Success (worktrees cleaned or operation cancelled)
• 1 - Error (not in a git repository)

Related Commands

• gwt status - Check merge status before cleaning
• gwt remove - Remove worktrees interactively
• gwt merge - Merge and remove a single worktree