Finishing a Development Branch Overview
Guide completion of development work by presenting clear options and handling chosen workflow.
Core principle: Verify tests → Present options → Execute choice → Clean up.
Announce at start: "I'm using the finishing-a-development-branch skill to complete this work."
The Process Step 1: Verify Tests
Before presenting options, verify tests pass:
Run project's test suite
npm test / cargo test / pytest / go test ./...
If tests fail:
Tests failing (
[Show failures]
Cannot proceed with merge/PR until tests pass.
Stop. Don't proceed to Step 2.
If tests pass: Continue to Step 2.
Step 2: Determine Base Branch
Try common base branches
git merge-base HEAD main 2>/dev/null || git merge-base HEAD master 2>/dev/null
Or ask: "This branch split from main - is that correct?"
Step 3: Present Options
Present exactly these 4 options:
Implementation complete. What would you like to do?
- Merge back to
locally - Push and create a Pull Request
- Keep the branch as-is (I'll handle it later)
- Discard this work
Which option?
Don't add explanation - keep options concise.
Step 4: Execute Choice Option 1: Merge Locally
Switch to base branch
git checkout
Pull latest
git pull
Merge feature branch
git merge
Verify tests on merged result
If tests pass
git branch -d
Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 5)
Option 2: Push and Create PR
Push branch
git push -u origin
Create PR
gh pr create --title "
Summary
<2-3 bullets of what changed>
Test Plan
- [ ]
EOF )"
Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 5)
Option 3: Keep As-Is
Report: "Keeping branch . Worktree preserved at ."
Don't cleanup worktree.
Option 4: Discard
Confirm first:
This will permanently delete:
- Branch
Type 'discard' to confirm.
Wait for exact confirmation.
If confirmed:
git checkout
Then: Cleanup worktree (Step 5)
Step 5: Cleanup Worktree
For Options 1, 2, 4:
Check if in worktree:
git worktree list | grep $(git branch --show-current)
If yes:
git worktree remove
For Option 3: Keep worktree.
Quick Reference Option Merge Push Keep Worktree Cleanup Branch 1. Merge locally ✓ - - ✓ 2. Create PR - ✓ ✓ - 3. Keep as-is - - ✓ - 4. Discard - - - ✓ (force) Common Mistakes
Skipping test verification
Problem: Merge broken code, create failing PR Fix: Always verify tests before offering options
Open-ended questions
Problem: "What should I do next?" → ambiguous Fix: Present exactly 4 structured options
Automatic worktree cleanup
Problem: Remove worktree when might need it (Option 2, 3) Fix: Only cleanup for Options 1 and 4
No confirmation for discard
Problem: Accidentally delete work Fix: Require typed "discard" confirmation Red Flags
Never:
Proceed with failing tests Merge without verifying tests on result Delete work without confirmation Force-push without explicit request
Always:
Verify tests before offering options Present exactly 4 options Get typed confirmation for Option 4 Clean up worktree for Options 1 & 4 only Integration
Called by:
subagent-driven-development (Step 7) - After all tasks complete executing-plans (Step 5) - After all batches complete
Pairs with:
using-git-worktrees - Cleans up worktree created by that skill