How to fix fatal: clean.requireForce defaults to true and neither -i, -n, nor -f given; refusing to clean in Git

Before deleting anything, use the -n flag to see what would be removed:

git clean -n

This performs a "dry run" and lists all untracked files that would be deleted without actually removing them. Review this list carefully before proceeding.

Once you've verified the files to be removed, use the -f flag to proceed:

git clean -f

This will permanently delete all untracked files in the current directory and subdirectories. This action cannot be undone through Git.

For more control, use the -i flag to enter interactive mode:

git clean -i

This presents a menu where you can:
- Clean all files at once
- Filter by pattern to exclude certain files
- Select specific files by number
- Review each file individually before deletion

By default, git clean only removes untracked files, not directories. To also remove untracked directories:

# Dry run including directories
git clean -n -d

# Force remove files and directories
git clean -f -d

Be especially careful with -d as it can remove entire folder structures.

To also remove files ignored by .gitignore:

# Remove untracked AND ignored files
git clean -f -x

# Remove ONLY ignored files (keep other untracked files)
git clean -f -X

Warning: The -x flag will remove build artifacts, node_modules, IDE settings, and other ignored files. Use with caution.

Common flag combinations:

# Preview all untracked files and directories
git clean -n -d

# Remove all untracked files and directories
git clean -f -d

# Full reset: remove untracked and ignored files/directories
git clean -f -d -x

# Interactive mode with directories
git clean -i -d

If you want to clean untracked files but keep the option to recover them:

# Stash untracked files (can be recovered later)
git stash push --include-untracked -m "cleanup untracked files"

# Later, if you need them back:
git stash pop

# Or permanently remove the stash:
git stash drop

This is safer than git clean as files can be recovered from the stash.