# Deleting files, completely, from git history

![](https://i.imgur.com/ToN09BO.png)

```shell
FILENAME=""

git filter-branch --force --index-filter \\
"git rm --cached --ignore-unmatch $FILENAME" \\
--prune-empty --tag-name-filter cat -- --all

git push origin --force --all
git push origin --force --tags
git for-each-ref --format='delete %(refname)' refs/original | git update-ref --stdin
git reflog expire --expire=now --all
git gc --prune=now

```

* Specify the name of the file you want to clean with `FILENAME=""`.
* With the `git filter-branch` command, we can clean all traces of a specific file in Git history.
* The `force` parameter is used to prevent errors when the filter branch already exists.
* The `index-filter` parameter specifies the command run for each commit.
* We remove all versions of the specified file with the `git rm --cached --ignore-unmatch $FILENAME` command.
* The `prune-empty` parameter removes empty commits that do not include file changes.
* The `tag-name-filter cat -- --all` parameter performs operations on all branches and tags.
* We forcefully push the changes to the remote repository with the `git push origin --force --all` and `git push origin --force --tags` commands.
* We delete the original references with the `git for-each-ref --format='delete %(refname)' refs/original | git update-ref --stdin` command.
* We clean the git history with the `git reflog expire --expire=now --all` and `git gc --prune=now` commands.


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