Git Worktrees

Git Worktrees

Git worktrees create isolated workspaces sharing the same repository, allowing work on multiple branches simultaneously.

When to Use

• MUST: When implementing features that need isolation
• MUST: Before executing multi-task implementation plans
• SHOULD: When parallel development on different features needed
• MAY: For experimental work that might be discarded

Directory Selection Priority

1. Check Existing Directories

ls -d .worktrees 2>/dev/null     # Preferred (hidden)
ls -d worktrees 2>/dev/null      # Alternative

If found: Use that directory. If both exist, .worktrees wins.

2. Check CLAUDE.md

grep -i "worktree.*director" CLAUDE.md 2>/dev/null

If preference specified: Use it.

3. Ask User

No worktree directory found. Where should I create worktrees?

1. .worktrees/ (project-local, hidden)
2. ~/worktrees/<project-name>/ (global location)

Which would you prefer?

Safety Verification

MUST: Verify Directory is Ignored

For project-local directories:

git check-ignore -q .worktrees 2>/dev/null

If NOT ignored:

1. Add to .gitignore
2. Commit the change
3. Then proceed

Why: Prevents accidentally committing worktree contents.

Creation Steps

Step 1: Detect Project Name

project=$(basename "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)")

Step 2: Create Worktree

# Create worktree with new branch
git worktree add "$path" -b "$BRANCH_NAME"
cd "$path"

Step 3: Run Project Setup

# Auto-detect and run
[ -f package.json ] && npm install
[ -f Cargo.toml ] && cargo build
[ -f requirements.txt ] && pip install -r requirements.txt
[ -f go.mod ] && go mod download

Step 4: Verify Clean Baseline

npm test  # or cargo test / pytest / go test ./...

If tests fail: Report failures, ask whether to proceed. If tests pass: Report ready.

Step 5: Report Location

Worktree ready at /path/to/worktree
Tests passing (47 tests, 0 failures)
Ready to implement <feature-name>

MUST/SHOULD/NEVER Rules

MUST

• MUST: Follow directory priority (existing > CLAUDE.md > ask)
• MUST: Verify directory is ignored for project-local worktrees
• MUST: Run baseline tests before starting work
• MUST: Report worktree location when done

SHOULD

• SHOULD: Auto-detect and run project setup
• SHOULD: Create feature branch with descriptive name
• SHOULD: Use .worktrees/ over worktrees/

NEVER

• NEVER: Create worktree without verifying it's ignored
• NEVER: Skip baseline test verification
• NEVER: Proceed with failing tests without asking
• NEVER: Assume directory location when ambiguous

Quick Reference

Cleanup

When work is complete, remove worktree:

# From main repository
git worktree remove <worktree-path>
git branch -d <feature-branch>  # if merged

Integration

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