Git Worktrees

Overview

Git worktrees enable checking out multiple branches simultaneously in separate directories, all sharing the same repository. Create a worktree instead of stashing changes or cloning separately.

Core principle: One worktree per active branch. Switch contexts by changing directories, not branches.

Core Concepts

Concept	Description
Main worktree	Original working directory from git clone or git init
Linked worktree	Additional directories created with git worktree add
Shared .git	All worktrees share same Git object database (no duplication)
Branch lock	Each branch can only be checked out in ONE worktree at a time
Worktree metadata	Administrative files in .git/worktrees/ tracking linked worktrees

Quick Reference

Task	Command
Create worktree (existing branch)	git worktree add <path> <branch>
Create worktree (new branch)	git worktree add -b <branch> <path>
Create worktree (new branch from ref)	git worktree add -b <branch> <path> <start>
Create detached worktree	git worktree add --detach <path> <commit>
List all worktrees	git worktree list
Remove worktree	git worktree remove <path>
Force remove worktree	git worktree remove --force <path>
Move worktree	git worktree move <old> <new>
Lock worktree	git worktree lock <path>
Unlock worktree	git worktree unlock <path>
Prune stale worktrees	git worktree prune
Repair worktree links	git worktree repair
Compare files between worktrees	diff ../worktree-a/file ../worktree-b/file
Get one file from another branch	git checkout <branch> -- <path>
Get partial file changes	git checkout -p <branch> -- <path>
Cherry-pick a commit	git cherry-pick <commit>
Cherry-pick without committing	git cherry-pick --no-commit <commit>
Merge without auto-commit	git merge --no-commit <branch>

Essential Commands

Create a Worktree

# Create worktree with existing branch
git worktree add ../feature-x feature-x

# Create worktree with new branch from current HEAD
git worktree add -b new-feature ../new-feature

# Create worktree with new branch from specific commit
git worktree add -b hotfix-123 ../hotfix origin/main

# Create worktree tracking remote branch
git worktree add --track -b feature ../feature origin/feature

# Create worktree with detached HEAD (for experiments)
git worktree add --detach ../experiment HEAD~5

List Worktrees

# Simple list
git worktree list

# Verbose output with additional details
git worktree list -v

# Machine-readable format (for scripting)
git worktree list --porcelain

Example output:

/home/user/project           abc1234 [main]
/home/user/project-feature   def5678 [feature-x]
/home/user/project-hotfix    ghi9012 [hotfix-123]

Remove a Worktree

# Remove worktree (working directory must be clean)
git worktree remove ../feature-x

# Force remove (discards uncommitted changes)
git worktree remove --force ../feature-x

Move a Worktree

# Relocate worktree to new path
git worktree move ../old-path ../new-path

Lock/Unlock Worktrees

# Lock worktree (prevents pruning if on removable storage)
git worktree lock ../feature-x
git worktree lock --reason "On USB drive" ../feature-x

# Unlock worktree
git worktree unlock ../feature-x

Prune Stale Worktrees

# Remove stale worktree metadata (after manual directory deletion)
git worktree prune

# Dry-run to see what would be pruned
git worktree prune --dry-run

# Verbose output
git worktree prune -v

Repair Worktrees

# Repair worktree links after moving directories manually
git worktree repair

# Repair specific worktree
git worktree repair ../feature-x

Workflow Patterns

Pattern 1: Feature + Hotfix in Parallel

To fix a bug while feature work is in progress:

# Create worktree for hotfix from main
git worktree add -b hotfix-456 ../project-hotfix origin/main

# Switch to hotfix directory, fix, commit, push
cd ../project-hotfix
git add . && git commit -m "fix: resolve critical bug #456"
git push origin hotfix-456

# Return to feature work
cd ../project

# Clean up when done
git worktree remove ../project-hotfix

Pattern 2: PR Review While Working

To review a PR without affecting current work:

# Fetch PR branch and create worktree
git fetch origin pull/123/head:pr-123
git worktree add ../project-review pr-123

# Review: run tests, inspect code
cd ../project-review

# Return to work, then clean up
cd ../project
git worktree remove ../project-review
git branch -d pr-123

Pattern 3: Compare Implementations

To compare code across branches side-by-side:

# Create worktrees for different versions
git worktree add ../project-v1 v1.0.0
git worktree add ../project-v2 v2.0.0

# Diff, compare, or run both simultaneously
diff ../project-v1/src/module.js ../project-v2/src/module.js

# Clean up
git worktree remove ../project-v1
git worktree remove ../project-v2

Pattern 4: Long-Running Tasks

To run tests/builds in isolation while continuing development:

# Create worktree for CI-like testing
git worktree add ../project-test main

# Start long-running tests in background
cd ../project-test && npm test &

# Continue development in main worktree
cd ../project

Pattern 5: Stable Reference

To maintain a clean main checkout for reference:

# Create permanent worktree for main branch
git worktree add ../project-main main

# Lock to prevent accidental removal
git worktree lock --reason "Reference checkout" ../project-main

Pattern 6: Selective Merging from Multiple Features

To combine specific changes from multiple feature branches:

# Create worktrees for each feature to review
git worktree add ../project-feature-1 feature-1
git worktree add ../project-feature-2 feature-2

# Review changes in each worktree
diff ../project/src/module.js ../project-feature-1/src/module.js
diff ../project/src/module.js ../project-feature-2/src/module.js

# From main worktree, selectively take changes
cd ../project
git checkout feature-1 -- src/moduleA.js src/utils.js
git checkout feature-2 -- src/moduleB.js
git commit -m "feat: combine selected changes from feature branches"

# Or cherry-pick specific commits
git cherry-pick abc1234  # from feature-1
git cherry-pick def5678  # from feature-2

# Clean up
git worktree remove ../project-feature-1
git worktree remove ../project-feature-2

Comparing and Merging Changes Between Worktrees

Since all worktrees share the same Git repository, you can compare files, cherry-pick commits, and selectively merge changes between them.

Compare and Review File Changes

Since worktrees are just directories, you can compare files directly:

# Compare specific file between worktrees
diff ../project-main/src/app.js ../project-feature/src/app.js

# Use git diff to compare branches (works from any worktree)
git diff main..feature-branch -- src/app.js

# Visual diff with your preferred tool
code --diff ../project-main/src/app.js ../project-feature/src/app.js

# Compare entire directories
diff -r ../project-v1/src ../project-v2/src

Merge Only One File from a Worktree

You can selectively bring a single file from another branch using git checkout:

# In your current branch, get a specific file from another branch
git checkout feature-branch -- path/to/file.js

# Or get it from a specific commit
git checkout abc1234 -- path/to/file.js

# Get multiple specific files
git checkout feature-branch -- src/module.js src/utils.js

For partial file changes (specific hunks/lines only):

# Interactive patch mode - select which changes to take
git checkout -p feature-branch -- path/to/file.js

This prompts you to accept/reject each change hunk individually with options:

• y - apply this hunk
• n - skip this hunk
• s - split into smaller hunks
• e - manually edit the hunk

Cherry-Pick Commits from Worktrees

Cherry-picking works at the commit level. Since all worktrees share the same repository, you can cherry-pick any commit:

# Find the commit hash (from any worktree or git log)
git log feature-branch --oneline

# Cherry-pick specific commit into your current branch
git cherry-pick abc1234

# Cherry-pick multiple commits
git cherry-pick abc1234 def5678

# Cherry-pick a range of commits
git cherry-pick abc1234^..def5678

# Cherry-pick without committing (stage changes only)
git cherry-pick --no-commit abc1234

Merge Changes from Multiple Worktrees

You can merge or cherry-pick from multiple branches:

# Merge multiple branches sequentially
git merge feature-1
git merge feature-2

# Or use octopus merge for multiple branches at once
git merge feature-1 feature-2 feature-3

# Cherry-pick commits from multiple branches
git cherry-pick abc1234  # from feature-1
git cherry-pick def5678  # from feature-2

Selective Merging - Pick Which Changes to Include

Option 1: Selective File Checkout

# Get specific files from different branches
git checkout feature-1 -- src/moduleA.js
git checkout feature-2 -- src/moduleB.js
git commit -m "Merge selected files from feature branches"

Option 2: Interactive Patch Selection

# Select specific hunks from a file
git checkout -p feature-1 -- src/shared.js

Option 3: Cherry-Pick with Selective Staging

# Apply changes without committing
git cherry-pick --no-commit abc1234

# Unstage what you don't want
git reset HEAD -- unwanted-file.js
git checkout -- unwanted-file.js

# Commit only what you kept
git commit -m "Selected changes from feature-1"

Option 4: Merge with Manual Selection

# Start merge but don't auto-commit
git merge --no-commit feature-1

# Review and modify staged changes
git status
git reset HEAD -- file-to-exclude.js
git checkout -- file-to-exclude.js

# Commit your selection
git commit -m "Merge selected changes from feature-1"

Option 5: Using git restore (Git 2.23+)

# Restore specific file from another branch
git restore --source=feature-branch -- path/to/file.js

# Interactive restore with patch selection
git restore -p --source=feature-branch -- path/to/file.js

Directory Structure Conventions

Organize worktrees predictably:

~/projects/
  myproject/              # Main worktree (main/master branch)
  myproject-feature-x/    # Feature branch worktree
  myproject-hotfix/       # Hotfix worktree
  myproject-review/       # Temporary PR review worktree

Naming convention: <project>-<purpose> or <project>-<branch>

Best Practices

Practice	Rationale
Use sibling directories	Keep worktrees at same level as main project for easy navigation
Name by purpose	project-review is clearer than project-pr-123
Clean up promptly	Remove worktrees when done to avoid confusion
Lock remote worktrees	Prevent pruning if worktree is on network/USB storage
Use --detach for experiments	Avoid creating throwaway branches
Commit before removing	Always commit or stash before git worktree remove

Common Issues and Solutions

Issue: "Branch is already checked out"

Cause: Attempting to checkout a branch that's active in another worktree.

Solution:

# Find where the branch is checked out
git worktree list

# Either work in that worktree or remove it first
git worktree remove ../other-worktree

Issue: Stale worktree after manual deletion

Cause: Deleted worktree directory without using git worktree remove.

Solution:

# Clean up stale metadata
git worktree prune

Issue: Worktree moved manually

Cause: Moved worktree directory without using git worktree move.

Solution:

# Repair the worktree links
git worktree repair
# Or specify the new path
git worktree repair /new/path/to/worktree

Issue: Worktree on removed drive

Cause: Worktree was on removable storage that's no longer connected.

Solution:

# If temporary, lock it to prevent pruning
git worktree lock ../usb-worktree

# If permanent, prune it
git worktree prune

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Using rm -rf to delete worktree	Always use git worktree remove, then git worktree prune if needed
Forgetting branch is locked to worktree	Run git worktree list before checkout errors
Not cleaning up temporary worktrees	Remove worktrees immediately after task completion
Creating worktrees in nested locations	Use sibling directories (../project-feature) not subdirs
Moving worktree directory manually	Use git worktree move or run git worktree repair after

Agent Workflow Integration

To isolate parallel agent tasks:

# Create worktree for isolated task
git worktree add -b task-123 ../project-task-123
cd ../project-task-123
# Make changes, run tests, return
cd ../project

To experiment safely with detached HEAD:

# Create detached worktree (no branch to clean up)
git worktree add --detach ../project-experiment
cd ../project-experiment
# Experiment, then discard or commit to new branch
git worktree remove --force ../project-experiment

Verification Checklist

Before using worktrees:

• Understand that branches can only be checked out in one worktree
• Know where worktrees will be created (use sibling directories)
• Plan cleanup strategy for temporary worktrees

When creating worktrees:

• Use descriptive directory names
• Verify branch is not already checked out elsewhere
• Consider using --detach for experiments

When removing worktrees:

• Commit or stash any uncommitted changes
• Use git worktree remove, not rm -rf
• Run git worktree prune if directory was deleted manually