Git Branch Deletion Explained — Local and Remote

In the previous blog, we explored how branches map between local and remote repositories.

Now, let’s take it further:

How to create a new branch
How to delete a branch locally
How to delete a branch from GitHub
Different ways of deleting remote branches

Step 1: Creating a New Branch

Switch to main branch and create a new branch called test:

git switch main
git branch test

👉 Output:

* main
  feature1
  test

✅ A new local branch test is created. But at this point, it only exists locally.

Step 2: Pushing the Branch to GitHub

Now push it to the remote repository:

git push origin test

👉 On GitHub, you’ll see the test branch created.

Visual representation:

Step 3: Deleting the Local Branch

If your work on this branch is complete, you can delete it locally:

git branch -d test

👉 This deletes only the local branch. The remote branch still exists on GitHub.

Step 4: Deleting the Remote Branch

There are two ways to delete a branch from GitHub (remote repo).

Method 1: Using `--delete`

git push origin --delete test

👉 The branch test will be removed from the remote repository.

Method 2: Using Push with Empty Source

git push origin :test

👉 Here, you don’t pass any source branch. Git interprets this as: “delete the branch test on remote.”

✅ This also removes the branch from GitHub.

Step 5: Confirming the Result

Check remote branches:

git branch -a

Output before deletion:

* main
  feature1
  test
  remotes/origin/main
  remotes/origin/test

Output after remote deletion:

* main
  feature1
  test
  remotes/origin/main

👉 The remote test branch is gone, but the local copy still exists until you delete it manually.

Summary

Local branch deletion does not affect remote.
Remote deletion does not affect local.
You must delete both separately if you want them gone everywhere.
git branch -d <branch> → Deletes branch locally.
git push origin --delete <branch> → Deletes branch from GitHub.
git push origin :<branch> → Alternate way to delete remote branch.
Local and remote branches are independent — deleting one does not delete the other.

Keep Learning 🚀

👉 Subscribe to Learning Ocean – Subscribers get coupon codes for my courses, early access to blogs and courses, and even exclusive YouTube videos.

👉 My YouTube Channel – More videos, more fun, and lots of learning!

👉 📺 Watch this topic in video form

Stay curious, keep coding, and let’s make learning fun together! 🎉

Previous Next