# Branch FAQ

*Branch analysis is available starting in* [*Developer Edition*](https://www.sonarsource.com/plans-and-pricing/developer/)*.*

## How long are branches retained? <a href="#branches-retained" id="branches-retained"></a>

Branches will be deleted automatically when they are inactive according to your settings at **Administration** > **Configuration** > **General Settings** > **Housekeeping** > **Number of days** before deleting inactive branches except for branches you have set to be kept when inactive. These branches are kept until you delete them manually at the project level at **Project Settings > Branches and Pull Requests**. See [branch-analysis](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/10.5/analyzing-source-code/branches/branch-analysis "mention") for more information on keeping inactive branches.

## Does my project need to be stored in an SCM like Git or SVN? <a href="#scm" id="scm"></a>

No, you don’t need to be connected to an SCM. However, SCM data still enhances the SonarQube experience (including issue auto-assignment and issue backdating), and you will be well prepared to take advantage of [pull-request-analysis](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/10.5/analyzing-source-code/pull-request-analysis "mention")!

## What if I mark an issue "Accept" or "False-Positive" in a branch? <a href="#false-positive" id="false-positive"></a>

If you have configured the **Reference Branch** [defining-new-code](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/10.5/project-administration/clean-as-you-code-settings/defining-new-code "mention") for a branch, issues in the reference branch automatically inherit their attributes from this original branch (including the **Accept** and **False Positive** resolutions) after the merge.

## Can I manually delete a branch? <a href="#delete-branch" id="delete-branch"></a>

You can delete a branch in the **Branches** tab at **Project Settings** > **Branches and Pull Requests**.

## Does the payload of the Webhook include branch information? <a href="#webhook-branch" id="webhook-branch"></a>

Yes, an extra node called `branch` is added to the payload.

## When are Webhooks called? <a href="#webhooks" id="webhooks"></a>

When the computation of the background task is done for a given branch.

## What is the impact on my LOCs consumption vs my license? <a href="#loc" id="loc"></a>

The [license-administration](https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/10.5/instance-administration/license-administration "mention") of your largest branch is counted toward your license limit. All other branches are ignored.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.sonarsource.com/sonarqube-server/10.5/analyzing-source-code/branches/branch-faq.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.