> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://glotctl.mintlify.site/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # glot clean > Remove unused translation keys from locale files The `clean` command removes unused or orphan translation keys from your locale JSON files. ## Usage ```bash npm theme={null} npx glot clean [OPTIONS] ``` ```bash pnpm theme={null} pnpm exec glot clean [OPTIONS] ``` ```bash yarn theme={null} yarn glot clean [OPTIONS] ``` ```bash bun theme={null} bunx glot clean [OPTIONS] ``` ## Options Actually delete keys. Without this flag, glot runs in dry-run mode and only shows what would be deleted. Rules to clean. Can be specified multiple times. If not specified, all rules are applied. Possible values: * `unused` - Keys defined in locale files but not used in code * `orphan` - Keys in non-primary locales but not in primary locale Override the source code root directory. Defaults to the value from configuration file. Override the messages directory path. Defaults to the value from configuration file. Override the primary locale. Defaults to the value from configuration file. Enable verbose output for debugging. ## Dry-Run Mode (Default) By default, glot runs in dry-run mode to preview changes: ```bash npm theme={null} npx glot clean ``` ```bash pnpm theme={null} pnpm exec glot clean ``` ```bash yarn theme={null} yarn glot clean ``` ```bash bun theme={null} bunx glot clean ``` Output: ``` Dry-run mode: showing keys that would be deleted Would delete from messages/en.json: - common.oldButton - settings.deprecated Would delete from messages/es.json: - common.oldButton - settings.deprecated - extra.orphanKey (orphan - not in primary locale) 4 keys would be deleted. Run with --apply to delete. ``` ## Apply Changes To actually delete the keys: ```bash npm theme={null} npx glot clean --apply ``` ```bash pnpm theme={null} pnpm exec glot clean --apply ``` ```bash yarn theme={null} yarn glot clean --apply ``` ```bash bun theme={null} bunx glot clean --apply ``` Output: ``` Deleted from messages/en.json: - common.oldButton - settings.deprecated Deleted from messages/es.json: - common.oldButton - settings.deprecated - extra.orphanKey ✓ 4 keys deleted ``` ## Clean Specific Key Types ### Unused Keys Only Remove keys that exist in locale files but are never used in code: ```bash npm theme={null} npx glot clean --rules unused --apply ``` ```bash pnpm theme={null} pnpm exec glot clean --rules unused --apply ``` ```bash yarn theme={null} yarn glot clean --rules unused --apply ``` ```bash bun theme={null} bunx glot clean --rules unused --apply ``` ### Orphan Keys Only Remove keys that exist in non-primary locales but not in the primary locale: ```bash npm theme={null} npx glot clean --rules orphan --apply ``` ```bash pnpm theme={null} pnpm exec glot clean --rules orphan --apply ``` ```bash yarn theme={null} yarn glot clean --rules orphan --apply ``` ```bash bun theme={null} bunx glot clean --rules orphan --apply ``` When `--rules` is not specified, both `unused` and `orphan` keys are cleaned. ## Safety Checks Glot includes safety mechanisms to prevent accidental data loss: Glot will refuse to clean if: * **Dynamic keys are detected** - Template literals with expressions like ``t(`key.${id}`)`` can't be statically analyzed * **Parse errors exist** - Some files couldn't be parsed correctly If you see this message: ``` Cannot clean: dynamic keys detected in codebase These keys use runtime values and cannot be statically analyzed: - src/components/Dynamic.tsx:15 - t(`items.${item.type}`) Fix or suppress these before cleaning. ``` You'll need to either: 1. Replace dynamic keys with static alternatives 2. Use `// glot-message-keys "pattern.*"` to declare which keys are used dynamically Do NOT use `glot-disable-next-line` for dynamic keys when using `clean`. While it suppresses the warning, it doesn't tell glot which keys are actually used. This means `clean` may incorrectly delete keys that are dynamically referenced. ### Handling Dynamic Keys ```tsx theme={null} // Before: Dynamic key causes clean to fail { items.map((item) => t(`items.${item.type}`)); } // After: Declare expected keys with explicit list // glot-message-keys "items.basic", "items.premium", "items.enterprise" { items.map((item) => t(`items.${item.type}`)); } // Or with glob pattern to match all keys under items.* // glot-message-keys "items.*" { items.map((item) => t(`items.${item.type}`)); } ``` ## Examples ### Preview All Cleanable Keys ```bash npm theme={null} npx glot clean ``` ```bash pnpm theme={null} pnpm exec glot clean ``` ```bash yarn theme={null} yarn glot clean ``` ```bash bun theme={null} bunx glot clean ``` ### Clean Everything ```bash npm theme={null} npx glot clean --apply ``` ```bash pnpm theme={null} pnpm exec glot clean --apply ``` ```bash yarn theme={null} yarn glot clean --apply ``` ```bash bun theme={null} bunx glot clean --apply ``` ### Clean Only Unused Keys with Custom Source Root ```bash npm theme={null} npx glot clean --rules unused --apply --source-root ./src ``` ```bash pnpm theme={null} pnpm exec glot clean --rules unused --apply --source-root ./src ``` ```bash yarn theme={null} yarn glot clean --rules unused --apply --source-root ./src ``` ```bash bun theme={null} bunx glot clean --rules unused --apply --source-root ./src ``` ## Related Use glot-message-keys for dynamic keys Understanding orphan key detection Understanding missing key detection