Is it possible to have .GITCLAW/state/** files not be copied when a template is created from the repo?

[japertechnology]

[github-actions]

Unfortunately, GitHub does not support excluding specific files or directories when creating a repository from a template. GitHub's template repository feature copies the entire repository contents (all committed files) into the new repo — there's no built-in mechanism like a .templateignore file.

Here are your options to prevent .GITCLAW/state/** from being copied:

1. Add it to .gitignore (recommended) — If these state files shouldn't be tracked in version control at all, add them to .gitignore:

   .GITCLAW/state/
   

   Then remove them from git tracking:

   git rm -r --cached .GITCLAW/state/

   This way they won't exist in the template repo and won't be copied.

2. Use a setup script — Keep a script (e.g., in a GitHub Action or a setup.sh) that cleans up state files after a repo is created from the template.

3. Use a GitHub Actions workflow — Add a workflow triggered on create events that automatically deletes the state files and commits the change.

Option 1 is the cleanest. Would you like me to add .GITCLAW/state/ to your .gitignore?

[japertechnology]

Because I use the repo for R&D there are alot of testing bits and pieces, I would like a method to key my state etc etc but on templating clears issues, state files of the AI etc

[github-actions]

Here's what the workflow does, Admiral:

.github/workflows/GITCLAW-TEMPLATE-CLEAN.yml — a one-shot GitHub Actions workflow that:

1. Triggers on the create event (fires when a new repo is created from the template)
2. Skips the source template repo itself (so your R&D state is untouched)
3. Cleans up:
   • .GITCLAW/state/issues/* — cached issue JSON files
   • .GITCLAW/state/sessions/* — AI session logs
   • .GITCLAW/state/user.md — your user profile
4. Preserves structure — drops .gitkeep files in the emptied directories so they still exist
5. Self-destructs — removes the workflow file itself after running, since it's only needed once
6. Commits the cleanup as gitclaw[bot] with a clean commit message

If there are other files/directories you'd like added to the cleanup list (e.g., anything in .GITCLAW/tests/), just let me know and I'll add them.