> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.flosum.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.flosum.com/devops/code/branch-actions/adding-pre-and-post-destructive-changes-to-a-branch.md).
# Adding Pre and Post Destructive Changes to a Branch
Use destructive changes to remove Salesforce metadata components during deployment. You can configure them as Pre or Post to control when the deletions happen.
##  Overview
Destructive changes allow you to delete metadata from a Salesforce org as part of a deployment. For example, you may want to remove unused fields, classes, or components. In Flosum DevOps, destructive changes can be applied in two ways:
* **Pre-destructive changes**: deletions occur before the main deployment.
* **Post-destructive changes**: deletions occur after the main deployment.
{% hint style="warning" %}
#### Deployment
When you run a **Deploy** or **Validate** action, destructive changes are included automatically. They execute in sequence, depending on whether they are Pre or Post.
{% endhint %}
{% hint style="info" %}
#### Best Practices
* Use **pre-destructive** changes to remove metadata that might conflict with the new deployment.
* Use **post-destructive** changes to clean up after the new components are deployed.
* Always validate deployments with destructive changes to ensure no critical metadata is deleted by mistake.
{% endhint %}
Since the steps for adding a pre-destructive change and a post-destructive change are the same, this article shows you how to add a pre-destructive change.
## Adding Destructive Changes
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
### Select a Branch
1. Click **Branches** from the left sidebar menu.
2. Select a branch from the list.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Add Destructive Changes
1. On the **Components** tab, click the **Destructive Changes** table selector.
2. Click **+ Add Pre Change**.
3. Select the **Source Type**:
1. **Organization**: Lets you choose components from a Salesforce org to include in destructive changes.
2. **Branch**: Lets you choose components from a branch to include in destructive changes.
4. Click **Continue**.
5. Click **Select** for the Organization or Branch from which you want to add components.
6. Click **Next**.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Select Components
1. Search, filter, and sort to find the components to add to the destructive changes.
2. Click **Select** for each component to add.
3. Click **+ Add** once all components are selected.
4. The components you added are listed in the **Destructive Changes** table. The **Deploy Type** column shows whether each change is **Pre** or **Post**.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
## Managing Destructive Changes
After adding a component to the **Destructive Changes** table, you can manage it by changing its deployment type or removing it completely.
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
### Change Deployment Type
You can switch the deployment type between **Pre** and **Post**. The **Change to Post/Pre** option depends on the Deploy Type the destructive change is currently set to.
1. Click the **Three Dots** menu for the destructive change you want to update.
2. Click **Change to Post/Pre**.
3. The destructive change will immediately switch Deploy Types.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Delete Destructive Change
1. Click the **Three Dots** menu for the destructive change you want to delete.
2. Click **Delete**.
3. Click **Yes, delete** in the **Delete Component** confirmation dialog.
{% hint style="info" %}
Deleting the destructive change component does not delete the component from the branch; it only removes it from the destructive changes.
{% endhint %}
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
---
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