Delete a Git Branch Locally and Remotely

Deleting Git branches locally and remotely requires different commands, but the process is straightforward.

Delete a Local Git Branch

To delete a local branch that has been merged, use:

git branch -d branch_name

The lowercase 'd' is the "safe" delete that only works if the branch has been merged into the current branch or upstream branch. Git checks that you won't lose any commits before deleting.

To delete a local branch that has not been merged yet, force delete with:

git branch -D branch_name

The uppercase 'D' is a "force" delete that bypasses all safety checks. It will delete the branch regardless of merge status, potentially causing you to lose commits that exist only on that branch.

Delete a Remote Git Branch

To delete a remote branch, use either of these equivalent commands:

git push origin --delete branch_name

or

git push origin :branch_name

Verify Branch Deletion

Check local branches:

git branch

Check remote branches:

git branch -r

Clean Up References

If deleted remote branches still appear in your local repository, update references with:

git fetch --prune

or

git remote prune origin