Answers: <p>What I really want is to add a comment to the accepted answer, but I don't have enough reputation to do so. So I'll note it here. I've closed BSERV-10344 because it's in the wrong tracker. This question is about Bitbucket Cloud (bitbucket.org), not Bitbucket Server (the behind-the-firewall version). The correct issue tracker for the feature request is at <a href="https://bitbucket.org/site/master/issues" rel="noreferrer">https://bitbucket.org/site/master/issues</a>.</p>
  
  <p>Also, re: "I'm not sure why they use different language for that", it's because Bitbucket Cloud supports Mercurial as well as Git. In Mercurial it's not possible to delete a named branch; they can only be closed. Since its support for Mercurial predates its support for Git, the terminology used is to "close" the branch.</p>
  
Answers: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers: 2017-12-03T15:01:38.073Z
Answers: https://bitbucket.org/site/master/issues/15300
Answers: 030
Answers: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers: 2017-12-01T02:05:44.750Z
Answers: 2017-12-01T02:05:44.750Z
Answers: Bryan Turner
Answers: <p>For Bitbucket Server you can set this up on a project or repo-level under Settings &gt; Branches (under the Workflow section), scroll to the bottom and tick this setting on and press save:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/PqhKj.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/PqhKj.png" alt="branch-deletion-on-merge-setting" /></a></p>
  <p>So all in all you have two options:</p>
  <ol>
  <li>Change this setting on a project-level and have all repos under it inherit the project's settings by default</li>
  <li>Change this setting on a repo-level (if you want only some of your repos to adhere to this)</li>
  </ol>
  
Answers: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers: 2023-01-31T19:37:52.890Z
Answers: For Bitbucket Cloud, I developed this [Open-Source extension](https://github.com/hmartos/bitbucket-pull-request-auto-delete-branch), which you can install from the [Chrome Web Store](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/bitbucket-pull-request-au/iffllgmebelmfdfiiagjgbpjhplobfem)
Answers: hmartos
Answers: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers: 2021-12-01T13:46:16.190Z
Answers: 2021-12-02T08:40:35.987Z
Answers: 2021-12-02T08:40:35.987Z
Answers: jlo
Answers: <p>Apparently selecting the <code>Close branch</code> option in the very dialogue illustrated in your question will actually delete the branch as well. From 
  <a href="https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Bitbucket-questions/Why-only-quot-Close-quot-a-branch-instead-of-quot-Delete-quot-it/qaq-p/417416" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Why only "Close" a branch instead of "Delete" it?</a>:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Ben Tatham Jun 15, 2014</p>
    
    <p>It seems that I was mistaken. Marking a pull request to <em>Close branch
    when merged</em>, does indeed Delete it. I'm not sure why they use
    different language for that though.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
Answers: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers: 2017-11-24T19:54:11.653Z
Answers: Could it be selected by default? I would like to avoid that people have to select it because I see that they forget to click it.
Answers: 030
Answers: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers: 2017-11-24T20:01:57.983Z
Answers: Ah, I see what you mean. AFAIK there isn't such options. Maybe it's worthy filing a feature request for it? See [New features policy](https://confluence.atlassian.com/bitbucketserver/new-features-policy-776640886.html)
Answers: Dan Cornilescu
Answers: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers: 2017-11-24T20:31:03.277Z
Answers: https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/BSERV-10344 created
Answers: 030
Answers: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers: 2018-07-17T13:28:22.983Z
Answers: It was moved to https://bitbucket.org/site/master/issues/15300
Answers: Shereef Marzouk
Answers: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers: 2017-11-24T19:52:23.303Z
Answers: 2017-11-24T19:52:23.303Z
Answers: Dan Cornilescu
Body: <p>By default a branch will remain in Bitbucket when a Pull Request (PR) has been merged. How to ensure that a branch will be removed after a PR has been removed?</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/BGwNl.png" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/BGwNl.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
  <p>When the option is enabled then the branch will be removed after the merge of a PR, but how to ensure that it is clicked by default to prevent that creators of the PR forget to click it and the branch remains in bitbucket?</p>
  
Comments: CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments: 2018-07-17T13:28:01.427Z
Comments: https://bitbucket.org/site/master/issues/15300  Please vote for this issue
Comments: Shereef Marzouk
Tags: <bitbucket>
Title: How to close a branch by default after a pull request has been merged in Bitbucket?
UserDisplayName: 030
ThreadText: # How to close a branch by default after a pull request has been merged in Bitbucket?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-11-24)
  
  By default a branch will remain in Bitbucket when a Pull Request (PR) has been merged. How to ensure that a branch will be removed after a PR has been removed?
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/BGwNl.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/BGwNl.png)
  
  When the option is enabled then the branch will be removed after the merge of a PR, but how to ensure that it is clicked by default to prevent that creators of the PR forget to click it and the branch remains in bitbucket?
  
  **Tags:** bitbucket
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: https://bitbucket.org/site/master/issues/15300  Please vote for this issue  
  
  ---
  
  ## 3 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_5 on 2017-11-24. Score: 4 | Accepted answer
  
  Apparently selecting the `Close branch` option in the very dialogue illustrated in your question will actually delete the branch as well. From
  [Why only "Close" a branch instead of "Delete" it?](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Bitbucket-questions/Why-only-quot-Close-quot-a-branch-instead-of-quot-Delete-quot-it/qaq-p/417416):
  
  > Ben Tatham Jun 15, 2014
  >
  > It seems that I was mistaken. Marking a pull request to *Close branch
  > when merged*, does indeed Delete it. I'm not sure why they use
  > different language for that though.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Could it be selected by default? I would like to avoid that people have to select it because I see that they forget to click it.  
  > **username_5**: Ah, I see what you mean. AFAIK there isn't such options. Maybe it's worthy filing a feature request for it? See [New features policy](https://confluence.atlassian.com/bitbucketserver/new-features-policy-776640886.html)  
  > **username_0**: https://jira.atlassian.com/browse/BSERV-10344 created  
  > **username_1**: It was moved to https://bitbucket.org/site/master/issues/15300  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-12-01. Score: 6
  
  What I really want is to add a comment to the accepted answer, but I don't have enough reputation to do so. So I'll note it here. I've closed BSERV-10344 because it's in the wrong tracker. This question is about Bitbucket Cloud (bitbucket.org), not Bitbucket Server (the behind-the-firewall version). The correct issue tracker for the feature request is at <https://bitbucket.org/site/master/issues>.
  
  Also, re: "I'm not sure why they use different language for that", it's because Bitbucket Cloud supports Mercurial as well as Git. In Mercurial it's not possible to delete a named branch; they can only be closed. Since its support for Mercurial predates its support for Git, the terminology used is to "close" the branch.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: https://bitbucket.org/site/master/issues/15300  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2021-12-01. Score: 4
  
  For Bitbucket Server you can set this up on a project or repo-level under Settings > Branches (under the Workflow section), scroll to the bottom and tick this setting on and press save:
  
  [![branch-deletion-on-merge-setting](https://i.sstatic.net/PqhKj.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/PqhKj.png)
  
  So all in all you have two options:
  
  1. Change this setting on a project-level and have all repos under it inherit the project's settings by default
  2. Change this setting on a repo-level (if you want only some of your repos to adhere to this)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_4**: For Bitbucket Cloud, I developed this [Open-Source extension](https://github.com/username_4/bitbucket-pull-request-auto-delete-branch), which you can install from the [Chrome Web Store](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/bitbucket-pull-request-au/iffllgmebelmfdfiiagjgbpjhplobfem)  
  
  ---
  
  