Branches & Tags

How to Delete a Remote Branch in Git

Delete a branch from remote origin (GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket) after a pull request has been merged.

Instant 1-Line Solution

Reversible (History Change)Beginner

git push origin --delete <branch-name>

When to use this scenario:A feature branch was merged into main and you want to clean up remote branches to keep the repository tidy.

Step-by-Step Execution Guide

1Delete remote branch

git push origin --delete feature-branch

Sends a delete command to remote origin for the specified branch.

2Delete local branch

git branch -d feature-branch

Safely deletes the local branch if it has already been merged.

3Force delete unmerged local branch

git branch -D feature-branch

Forces deletion of local branch even if not fully merged into current branch.

4Prune stale remote-tracking branches

git fetch --prune

Removes local references to remote branches that were deleted by other team members.

•Cannot delete the remote branch if it is set as the repository's Default Branch on GitHub/GitLab.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about safe rollback, remote history implications, and troubleshooting.

Git keeps cached references locally. Run "git remote prune origin" or "git fetch --prune" to synchronize and clean them.

Undo your most recent Git commit while keeping all your edited files staged or unstaged in your working directory.

Discard all unstaged and uncommitted file modifications and restore your working tree to the latest commit.

Rename your current local branch and update the upstream remote tracking branch on GitHub or GitLab.

Amend the commit message of your latest commit before or after pushing.

Remove files from the Git staging area (index) without losing any of your local changes.

Temporarily shelve both modified and newly created untracked files to switch branches with a clean working copy.