Add some commits to the main branch

Oct 13, 2025 by thesweetdesigns.com 82 views

Introduction

As a developer, it's essential to have a smooth and efficient workflow when working with pull requests (PRs) and releases. One of the features that can make life easier is the automatic deletion of PR branches after a merge and squash. However, it seems that this feature is no longer working as expected. In this article, we'll explore the issue, provide some background information, and offer potential solutions.

Environment Details

Before we dive into the problem, let's take a look at the environment details:

Programming language: NodeJS
OS: MacOS
Language runtime version: Node V20
Package version: release-please-action@latest

Release-Please Configuration

The release-please configuration is defined in two files: release-please.yml and release-please-config.json. Here's a brief overview of each file:

Release-Please YAML

on:
  push:
    branches:
      - main

permissions:
  contents: write
  pull-requests: write

name: release-please

jobs:
  release-please:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: googleapis/release-please-action@v4
        with:
          token: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_PLEASE_TOKEN }}
          target-branch: main

This file defines the workflow for the release-please action. It specifies that the action should run on push events to the main branch and uses the googleapis/release-please-action action with version 4.

Release-Please JSON

{
  "$schema": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/googleapis/release-please/main/schemas/config.json",
  "packages": {
    ".": {
      "changelog-path": "CHANGELOG.md",
      "release-type": "node",
      "changelog-sections": [
        { "type": "feat", "section": "🚀 New Features", "hidden": false },
        { "type": "feature", "section": "🚀 New Features", "hidden": false },
        { "type": "enhance", "section": "💅 Enhancements", "hidden": false },
        { "type": "fix", "section": "🔥 Bug Fixes", "hidden": false },
        { "type": "perf", "section": "🏃 Performance Improvements", "hidden": false },
        { "type": "docs", "section": "📚 Documentation", "hidden": false },
        { "type": "style", "section": "🎨 Polish", "hidden": false },
        { "type": "chore", "section": "⚙️ Chores", "hidden": false },
        { "type": "refactor", "section": "⌨️ Code Refactoring", "hidden": false },
        { "type": "ci", "section": "📦 CI Improvements", "hidden": true },
        { "type": "build", "section": "🛠️ Build System", "hidden": true },
        { "type": "revert", "section": "↩️ Reverts", "hidden": true },
        { "type": "test", "section": "🧪 Automated Testing", "hidden": true }
      ]
    }
  }
}

This file defines the configuration for the release-please action. It specifies the changelog path, release type, and changelog sections.

Steps to Reproduce

To reproduce the issue, follow these steps:

Add some commits to the main branch: Make some changes to the code and commit them to the main branch.
Release Please makes a PR: Release Please will create a PR based on the changes you made.
Merge and squash the PR: Merge and squash the PR to the main branch.
Branch is not deleted after the automatic comment made by release-please: The PR branch will not be deleted after the automatic comment made by release-please.

Potential Solutions

There are a few potential solutions to this issue:

Check the release-please configuration: Make sure that the release-please configuration is correct and that the delete-branch option is enabled.
Check the GitHub Actions workflow: Check the GitHub Actions workflow to ensure that the delete-branch option is enabled and that the branch is being deleted correctly.
Check the release-please logs: Check the release-please logs to see if there are any errors or warnings that might be causing the issue.
Contact the release-please support team: If none of the above solutions work, contact the release-please support team for further assistance.

Conclusion

Introduction

In our previous article, we explored the issue of the automatic deletion of PR branches after a merge and squash no longer working as expected. In this article, we'll provide a Q&A section to help you better understand the issue and potential solutions.

Q: What is the automatic deletion of PR branches after a merge and squash?

A: The automatic deletion of PR branches after a merge and squash is a feature that allows the PR branch to be deleted automatically after the merge and squash operation is completed. This feature helps keep the codebase organized and reduces clutter.

Q: Why is the automatic deletion of PR branches no longer working?

A: There are several reasons why the automatic deletion of PR branches may not be working. Some possible reasons include:

Incorrect release-please configuration
GitHub Actions workflow issues
Release-please logs errors or warnings
Other external factors

Q: How can I check the release-please configuration?

A: To check the release-please configuration, follow these steps:

Open the release-please.yml file in your repository.
Check the delete-branch option to ensure it is enabled.
Verify that the target-branch option is set to the correct branch.

Q: How can I check the GitHub Actions workflow?

A: To check the GitHub Actions workflow, follow these steps:

Open the GitHub Actions workflow file in your repository.
Check the delete-branch option to ensure it is enabled.
Verify that the branch is being deleted correctly.

Q: How can I check the release-please logs?

A: To check the release-please logs, follow these steps:

Open the release-please logs file in your repository.
Check for any errors or warnings that might be causing the issue.

Q: What are some potential solutions to this issue?

A: Some potential solutions to this issue include:

Checking the release-please configuration
Checking the GitHub Actions workflow
Checking the release-please logs
Contacting the release-please support team for further assistance

Q: How can I contact the release-please support team?

A: To contact the release-please support team, follow these steps:

Visit the release-please support page.
Fill out the support form with your issue details.
Wait for a response from the support team.

Q: What are some best practices for maintaining a clean codebase?

A: Some best practices for maintaining a clean codebase include:

Regularly merging and squashing PRs
Deleting unnecessary branches
Keeping the codebase organized
Using release-please to automate the release process

Conclusion

In conclusion, the automatic deletion of PR branches after a merge and squash is no longer working as expected. By following the steps outlined in this article, you should be able to identify and potentially fix the issue. If you're still experiencing problems, don't hesitate to contact the release-please support team for further assistance.