AI agent skill · by @tldraw

Clean Copy

Reimplement the current branch on a new branch with a clean, narrative-quality git commit history. Use when asked to make a clean copy branch, clean up commit history by replaying work, or rebuild a branch as reviewable commits.

Archived 2026-10-23 · Source updated 2026-09-18. Check the original repository for the latest version.

SKILL.md instructions

# Clean copy

Reimplement the current branch on a new branch with a clean, narrative-quality commit history suitable for reviewer comprehension.

## Workflow

1. Gather context:
   - Source branch: `git branch --show-current`.
   - Working tree: `git status --short`.
   - Commits since main: `git log main..HEAD --oneline`.
   - Diff summary: `git diff main...HEAD --stat`.
2. Validate the source branch:
   - Ensure there are no uncommitted changes or merge conflicts.
   - Confirm the source branch is up to date with `main`.
3. Choose the new branch name:
   - Use the user's requested name when provided.
   - Otherwise use `<source-branch>-clean`.
4. Analyze the diff:
   - Study all changes between the source branch and `main`.
   - Understand the final intended state before recreating it.
5. Create the clean branch from `main`.
6. Plan the commit storyline:
   - Break the implementation into self-contained logical steps.
   - Each step should read like a stage of development in a tutorial.
7. Reimplement the work:
   - Recreate the final changes step by step.
   - Commit after each coherent idea.
   - Use clear commit subjects and descriptions.
   - Use `git commit --no-verify` for intermediate commits so hooks do not block temporarily incomplete states.
8. Verify correctness:
   - Confirm the final clean branch state exactly matches the original source branch.
   - Run the final commit without `--no-verify` so normal checks run.
9. Open a pull request using the `pr` skill.
   - Include a link to the original branch in the PR description.

## Rules

- Never add yourself or an AI tool as an author, contributor, or co-author.
- Never include AI attribution in commits or PR content.
- The final clean branch must be identical to the source branch.
- Do not force push unless the user explicitly asks for it.