Is it proper to format /data and /cache before running the LineageOS copy_partitions_script?

I've recently flashed LineageOS to my OnePlus6T by following the official guide on the Lineage website, I'm now writing a script I can run on my desktop which will perform the same procedure on a second device. In the official guide the instruction is to flash the provided script, which copies the content of the active partition slot onto the inactive slot: > In some cases slot b can be unpopulated or contain much older firmware > than slot a, leading to various issues including a potential > hard-brick. We can ensure none of that will happen by copying the > contents of slot a to slot b. This step is NOT optional. My question is: is it proper/safe/optimal to wipe the userdata and cache partitions *before* flashing the copy_partitions_script? I can't see any reason why it wouldn't be and doing so would enable me to reduce the amount of interaction (read selecting things on the device) that the script would require. The official guide lists the data wipe as the next step after flashing the script, but it doesn't explicitly state that it *must* come after. Any insight would be much appreciated.