Help Center
Go back to application
Help Center
Go back to application
Platform Terms GlossaryContacting Support and Reporting Bugs
Task Management
Task Management explained Creating Tasks Setting up Task NotificationsGiving permissions to team members
Organization
Working together in KertosInviting UsersCreating rolesAssigning System AccessCreating Departments and Assigning Users
Integrations
Discovery
Tasks
Device Management
Human Resource Information Systems
Inventory
Inventorization of vendorsInventorization of systemsInventorization of assetsEU AI Act: Inventorization of AI use cases
Risks
Managing risks
Trust Center
Setting up your trust center
Incidents
Reporting incidents
KAIA
KAIA explainedPrinciples of AI at Kertos
Interacting with KAIA
Compliance
Frameworks explainedManaging & implementing controlsCreating & managing policiesCompleting & assigning trainingsGuidanceDetermining Control Applicability
Privacy Management
Creating a RoPACreating TOMsCreating DPIAs
Data Subject Requests
API Reference
Ingress API Docs for DSRs Webhook API Docs for DSRs
Auto Checks
Auto Checks explainedAuto Checks: AWS Auto Checks: AzureAuto Checks: GCPAuto Checks: GitHubEnabling Auto Checks by Reconfiguring the Azure IntegrationEnabling Auto Checks by Reconfiguring the GCP IntegrationEnabling Auto Checks by Reconfiguring the AWS Integration
AWS Auto Checks Detailed Explanations
Azure Auto Checks Detailed Explanations
GitHub Auto Checks Detailed Explanations
Ensure secret scanning is enabled to detect sensitive dataEnsure code owner approval is required for owned code changesEnsure at least two approvals are required before merging codeEnsure branches are deleted automatically after mergingEnsure unresolved conversations block mergesEnsure force push is disabled for all branchesEnsure admins are subject to branch protection rulesEnsure a CODEOWNERS file exists in the repositoryEnsure inactive repositories are archivedEnsure all required status checks pass before mergingEnsure linear history is enforced on the default branchEnsure branch protection is enforced on the default branchEnsure the default branch cannot be deletedEnsure vulnerability scanning is enabled for repository dependenciesEnsure public repositories include a SECURITY.md fileEnsure all organization members have MFA enabledEnsure only signed commits are accepted

Ensure branches are deleted automatically after merging

Framework Reference: A.8.9 (Configuration Management) Integration: GitHub – Repository Settings

Why this matters

Automatically deleting branches after merging helps maintain repository hygiene and reduces the attack surface for stale or abandoned branches.
Old branches can contain outdated code, unpatched vulnerabilities, or unreviewed changes that may later be reused incorrectly.

Enabling automatic branch deletion ensures that:

  • Merged feature branches are removed immediately after integration
  • The repository stays organized and easier to maintain
  • The risk of reintroducing outdated or insecure code is minimized

Without this control, repositories can accumulate hundreds of inactive branches that make audits and code reviews harder to manage.

What this check does

This check verifies that the repository setting “Automatically delete head branches” is enabled.
When active, GitHub deletes the source branch automatically after its pull request has been merged into the base branch.

How to fix it

From the GitHub Web Console

  1. Go to your repository on GitHub.
  2. Navigate to Settings → General.
  3. Scroll down to the Merge button section.
  4. Under Automatically delete head branches, check Automatically delete head branches after pull requests are merged.
  5. Click Save changes if required.

After this is enabled, GitHub will automatically remove merged branches, keeping the repository clean and secure.

Exceptions

  • The setting applies only to branches deleted after a pull request merge. Manually merged or unmerged branches are not affected.
  • Users with write access can still recreate deleted branches if necessary.
  • This setting must be configured per repository (it is not organization-wide by default).

Further Resources

Was this article helpful?

Powered by Product Fruits