git remote prune: Usage, Options & Common CI Errors

git remote prune removes the local stand-ins for branches that were deleted on the remote.

After PRs merge and branches are deleted upstream, your origin/* refs go stale. Pruning keeps branch listings and ref iterations honest in long-lived caches and CI workspaces.

What it does

git remote prune deletes remote-tracking references under refs/remotes/<remote>/ that no longer have a corresponding branch on the remote. It does not touch local branches or remote data.

Common usage

Terminal

git remote prune origin
git remote prune --dry-run origin
# equivalent during a fetch:
git fetch --prune origin

Options

Flag	What it does
<remote>	The remote whose stale refs to prune
-n / --dry-run	Show what would be pruned
(via fetch) --prune	Prune as part of a fetch

Common errors in CI

Pruning only removes remote-tracking refs, not your local branches - a local branch whose upstream vanished still lingers and may show "gone" in git branch -vv. Use git fetch --prune to refresh and prune in one step; --dry-run first if a script deletes based on the output.

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