Stuck on a Deleted Branch? How to Fix GitHub Pages Deployment Issues and Boost Developer Activity

One of the most frustrating roadblocks for any developer is when a seemingly simple deployment goes awry. For those leveraging GitHub Pages to host portfolios, documentation, or project sites, encountering a situation where your live site stubbornly refers to a deleted branch can significantly hinder developer activity and productivity. This common issue often stems from caching mechanisms within GitHub's deployment infrastructure, even after you've updated your settings.

A recent discussion on the GitHub Community forum highlighted this exact problem. A user, radhamanjunath1023-afk, found their GitHub Pages deployment stuck referencing a deleted branch, despite trying conventional fixes like resetting the deploying branch and re-selecting the main branch for environments. This scenario underscores the need for a precise, methodical approach to resolve such persistent deployment glitches.

Streamlining Developer Activity: A Step-by-Step Fix

Fortunately, community expert Kushagra-Bajpei provided a comprehensive solution that addresses the underlying caching issue. The key is to systematically reset the GitHub Pages configuration, forcing a fresh deployment cycle. This process is critical for maintaining smooth developer activity and ensuring your projects are always up-to-date.

Here’s the recommended sequence of steps to resolve GitHub Pages deployments stuck on deleted branches:

1. Disable GitHub Pages Completely

   This is the crucial first step to clear any lingering cached configurations. By setting the source to 'None', you're essentially telling GitHub to forget its current Pages setup for this repository. This forces a clean slate and is vital for breaking the cycle of referencing an old, deleted branch.

   • Go to: Repository → Settings → Pages
   • Under “Build and deployment”:
   • Set Source to “None”
   • Click Save

   Wait 1–2 minutes to allow the changes to propagate. This brief pause is important for GitHub's systems to fully register the disable command.

   

2. Re-enable GitHub Pages

   Once you've cleared the cache by disabling, you can now re-enable Pages with the correct source. This step re-establishes the connection to your active branch, ensuring future deployments pull from the right place.

   Still in Settings → Pages:

   • Set Source to “Deploy from a branch”
   • Select branch: main (or your primary publishing branch)
   • Select folder: /root (or /docs if you use that for your site files)
   • Click Save

   

3. Check Environments (Important)

   Even after re-enabling, it's possible for environment settings to retain old configurations. This step ensures that your deployment environment is correctly configured to accept deployments from your chosen branch, preventing future mix-ups.

   • Go to: Settings → Environments → github-pages
   • Click Configure
   • Under “Deployment branches and tags” select “All branches” (or explicitly allow main)
   • Save changes

4. Trigger a Fresh Deployment

   The previous steps set up the correct configuration, but GitHub Pages often needs a nudge to actually *act* on those changes. A small, innocuous commit to your main branch will kick off a new deployment process, forcing GitHub Pages to build from the newly configured source.

   • Make a small commit to the main branch (for example, edit README.md and commit).
   • This forces GitHub Pages to redeploy using the correct branch.

   

5. (Optional but Helpful) Clear Old Workflows

   If you previously used GitHub Actions for Pages, old or stuck workflows can sometimes interfere. Canceling these ensures there are no lingering processes attempting to deploy from an incorrect source.

   • Go to Actions tab
   • Cancel any stuck or failed Pages deployments

After following these steps, GitHub Pages should stop referring to the deleted branch and deploy from main. Remember: GitHub Pages updates are not instant. It can take a few minutes for the settings change to fully apply and for your site to reflect the correct deployment.

Beyond the Fix: Proactive Tooling and Engineering Performance

This specific troubleshooting guide for GitHub Pages highlights a broader truth in software development: even seemingly minor tooling glitches can significantly impede developer activity. For dev teams, product managers, and CTOs, understanding and mitigating such issues is paramount for maintaining high productivity and achieving engineering performance goals.

Reliable deployment pipelines are not just a convenience; they are a cornerstone of efficient delivery. When developers spend time debugging infrastructure rather than building features, it directly impacts project timelines and team morale. This incident serves as a reminder that:

• Tooling Reliability Matters: Invest in robust, well-understood tools and processes.
• Documentation is Key: Clear, up-to-date documentation for common issues and their resolutions saves countless hours.
• Community Wisdom is Powerful: Leveraging community forums and shared knowledge can rapidly resolve complex problems.

For engineering leaders, understanding these nuances is crucial. Persistent deployment issues directly impact engineering performance goals by consuming valuable developer activity that could otherwise be spent on innovation or feature development. Proactive measures, such as clear documentation of deployment processes and regular audits of tooling configurations, are not just good practice—they are essential for maintaining high team velocity and achieving your development okr examples.

By adopting a systematic approach to troubleshooting and prioritizing robust tooling, organizations can minimize friction, maximize output, and ensure their teams remain focused on delivering value, not battling deployment ghosts.