Quick answer
Yes, a Swift package's .build folder is safe to delete. swift build recreates it, re-resolving and recompiling dependencies.
Rebuild with swift build
What is it?
.build/ is SwiftPM's build directory, with checked-out dependencies, compiled modules and build products for each configuration.
Why does it get so big?
- Debug and release products
- Checked-out source of every dependency
- Index and module caches
How to clean it from the command line
Review what a command matches before you run anything with rm -rf. These deletions are permanent.
What not to delete
- Package.swift and Package.resolved
- Xcode DerivedData (cleaned separately)
How Gigaflush handles Swift
Gigaflush lists .build only when Package.swift sits right beside it, shows each folder's size, preselects nothing, and re-checks the folder immediately before deleting it. Symlinks and parent-directory paths are refused.
FAQ
Is it safe to delete the .build folder in Swift?
Yes. It's SwiftPM's generated build directory. swift build restores it.
What's the difference between swift package clean and deleting .build?
swift package clean removes build products but keeps dependency checkouts; deleting .build removes everything.