---
title: "Rewrite Git history to purge secrets, binaries, or accidental paths before sharing a repo"
description: "Use git-filter-repo when an agent needs to surgically rewrite repository history after a leaked secret, a huge binary commit, or a bad subtree split. The agent analyzes the problem, builds the rewrite command, and leaves a clean follow-up checklist for force-push, clone reset, and downstream cleanup."
verification: "security_reviewed"
source: "https://github.com/newren/git-filter-repo"
publisher_type: "individual_maintainer"
category:
  - "Runbooks & Diagnostics"
framework:
  - "Multi-Framework"
tool_ecosystem:
  github_repo: "newren/git-filter-repo"
  github_stars: 12127
---

# Rewrite Git history to purge secrets, binaries, or accidental paths before sharing a repo

Use git-filter-repo when an agent needs to surgically rewrite repository history after a leaked secret, a huge binary commit, or a bad subtree split. The agent analyzes the problem, builds the rewrite command, and leaves a clean follow-up checklist for force-push, clone reset, and downstream cleanup.

## Prerequisites

git >= 2.36.0, python3 >= 3.6

## Installation

Choose whichever fits your setup:

1. Copy this skill folder into your local skills directory.
2. Clone the repo and symlink or copy the skill into your agent workspace.
3. Add the repo as a git submodule if you manage shared skills centrally.
4. Install it through your internal provisioning or packaging workflow.
5. Download the folder directly from GitHub and place it in your skills collection.

Install command or upstream instructions:

```
Download the git-filter-repo script from the repo, preserve its name, and place it on your PATH
```

## Documentation

- https://github.com/newren/git-filter-repo

## Source

- [Agent Skill Exchange](https://agentskillexchange.com/skills/rewrite-git-history-to-purge-secrets-binaries-or-accidental-paths-before-sharing-a-repo/)