[Feature] Allow autodeleting branches after their PRs have been merged #6969

New Issue

GiteaMirror · 2025-11-02T07:12:23-06:00

GiteaMirror commented

2025-11-02 07:12:23 -06:00

Originally created by @delvh on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021).

Gitea version (or commit ref): 1.14.0+dev-800-g752545023

Description

Most often, after a PR from branch a to branch b has been merged, a is not needed anymore.
It would be nice (and time/ energy saving) if you could activate in the repo settings whether branches of merged PRs should be autodeleted (as humans tend to forget to delete the branch after it has been merged, leading to unused branches in the project).

Later on, even the distinction between merged and closed PRs could be made by using another setting whether branches of closed PRs should also be autodeleted (even though that will be used rarely).

Originally created by @delvh on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021). - Gitea version (or commit ref): 1.14.0+dev-800-g752545023 ## Description Most often, after a PR from branch **a** to branch **b** has been merged, **a** is not needed anymore. It would be nice (and time/ energy saving) if you could activate in the repo settings whether branches of merged PRs should be autodeleted (as humans tend to forget to delete the branch after it has been merged, leading to unused branches in the project). Later on, even the distinction between merged and closed PRs could be made by using another setting whether branches of closed PRs should also be autodeleted (even though that will be used rarely).

GiteaMirror added the issue/duplicate label 2025-11-02 07:12:23 -06:00

GiteaMirror closed this issue

2025-11-02 07:12:23 -06:00

GiteaMirror commented

2025-11-02 07:12:24 -06:00

@lunny commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021):

So this could be a personal setting.

@lunny commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021): So this could be a personal setting.

GiteaMirror commented

2025-11-02 07:12:24 -06:00

@delvh commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021):

No, not really:
What is the behavior when person a commits and is basically the author of the PR, and he does not activate autodeleting branches, while person b merges the PR and has autodeletion active?
Will the branch get closed or not? Should Person B be responsible then for the deletion of the branch?

While it might be a little bit more work on the user side to check the box for each repository, it definitely leads to way less confusion and a unified solution for all PRs getting merged, instead of a per person behavior. And less confusion also means less unnecessary bug reports being filed.

@delvh commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021): No, not really: What is the behavior when person **a** commits and is basically the author of the PR, and he does not activate autodeleting branches, while person **b** merges the PR and has autodeletion active? Will the branch get closed or not? Should Person B be responsible then for the deletion of the branch? While it might be a little bit more work on the user side to check the box for each repository, it definitely leads to way less confusion and a unified solution for all PRs getting merged, instead of a per person behavior. And less confusion also means less unnecessary bug reports being filed.

GiteaMirror commented

2025-11-02 07:12:24 -06:00

@tomaswarynyca commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021):

I agree with @delvh it has to be a repository option.

@tomaswarynyca commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021): I agree with @delvh it has to be a repository option.

GiteaMirror commented

2025-11-02 07:12:24 -06:00

@lunny commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021):

For the original repository or fork repositories? I assume not for original repositories, because original repositories' setting should not delete fork repositories' branches there is a permission problem here.

@lunny commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021): For the original repository or fork repositories? I assume not for original repositories, because original repositories' setting should not delete fork repositories' branches there is a permission problem here.

GiteaMirror commented

2025-11-02 07:12:24 -06:00

@jolheiser commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021):

One of the (only) things Azure does that I like is, when closing a PR, it gives me a checkbox for whether to remove the branch.

The checkbox could perhaps be defaulted to some user/repo setting, but then the checkbox can be changed ad-hoc.

Obviously this would need to adhere to branch protection and other permissions

@jolheiser commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021): One of the (only) things Azure does that I like is, when closing a PR, it gives me a checkbox for whether to remove the branch. The checkbox could perhaps be defaulted to some user/repo setting, but then the checkbox can be changed ad-hoc. Obviously this would need to adhere to branch protection and other permissions

GiteaMirror commented

2025-11-02 07:12:25 -06:00

@delvh commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021):

@lunny Can't forked repositories change the fork repo settings? I would have thought so…

@delvh commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021): @lunny Can't forked repositories change the fork repo settings? I would have thought so…

GiteaMirror commented

2025-11-02 07:12:25 -06:00

@jpraet commented on GitHub (Mar 5, 2021):