command-remove.md

dotgithub remove

Remove a GitHub Action from tracking and delete generated files.

Synopsis

dotgithub remove <orgRepoRef> [options]
dotgithub rm <orgRepoRef> [options]

Description

The remove command removes a GitHub Action from your project's tracking and optionally deletes the generated TypeScript files. This is useful for cleaning up unused actions or removing actions that are no longer needed.

Arguments

• <orgRepoRef> - GitHub repository reference (e.g., actions/checkout@v4 or actions/checkout)

Options

• --keep-files - Remove from tracking but keep generated files

Examples

Remove an action completely

dotgithub remove actions/checkout@v4

This removes the action from tracking and deletes all generated files.

Remove from tracking only

dotgithub remove actions/checkout@v4 --keep-files

This removes the action from tracking but keeps the generated TypeScript files.

Using the alias

dotgithub rm actions/setup-node@v4

The rm alias works the same as remove.

What it does

1. Removes from configuration - Deletes the action entry from dotgithub.json
2. Deletes generated files - Removes TypeScript files (unless --keep-files is used)
3. Updates index files - Regenerates organization and root index files
4. Confirms removal - Shows success message with details

File cleanup

When removing an action (without --keep-files), the command deletes:

• The main action TypeScript file
• Related type definition files
• Updates organization index files
• Updates root index files

Keep files option

Use --keep-files when you want to:

• Remove tracking but keep the generated code
• Manually manage the TypeScript files
• Preserve custom modifications to generated files
• Temporarily disable an action

Action reference matching

The command matches actions by:

• Repository name (org/repo)
• Version reference (if specified)
• Action path (for composite actions)

Examples of valid references:

• actions/checkout - Matches any version of checkout
• actions/checkout@v4 - Matches specific version
• actions/cache/restore - Matches specific action path

Error handling

The command will fail if:

• No matching action is found
• The action reference format is invalid
• File deletion fails due to permissions
• Configuration file cannot be updated

Success output

When successful, the command shows:

✅ Removed checkout from tracking
Deleted generated files: actions/actions/checkout.ts, actions/actions/index.ts

When to use

Use this command to:

• Clean up unused actions - Remove actions no longer needed
• Reduce bundle size - Remove unnecessary dependencies
• Update dependencies - Remove old versions before adding new ones
• Project maintenance - Keep your action list current
• Migration - Remove deprecated actions during upgrades

Best practices

1. Use dry run first - Check what will be removed with dotgithub list
2. Keep files when uncertain - Use --keep-files if you might need the code later
3. Update imports - Remove imports of deleted actions from your code
4. Test after removal - Ensure your workflows still work
5. Commit changes - Version control the updated configuration

Related commands

• dotgithub list - See what actions are tracked
• dotgithub add - Add actions back if needed
• dotgithub update - Update instead of remove
• dotgithub regenerate - Regenerate remaining actions

See also

• dotgithub add - Add GitHub Actions to your project
• dotgithub list - List tracked actions
• dotgithub update - Update action versions
• Configuration Guide - Understanding dotgithub.json