Git Worktrees

Git Worktrees

Work on multiple branches simultaneously without stashing or switching.

Worktree Location

All worktrees live in .worktrees/ at repo root.

project/
├── .worktrees/
│   ├── feat-auth/
│   └── fix-login/
└── (main working tree)

Naming Convention

Worktree folder matches branch name pattern:

Pattern: Take the last two segments, join with hyphen.

Commands

Create Worktree

# New branch
git worktree add .worktrees/<folder> -b <branch-name>

# Existing branch
git worktree add .worktrees/<folder> <existing-branch>

List Worktrees

git worktree list

Remove Worktree

git worktree remove .worktrees/<name>

Prune Stale

git worktree prune

Workflow

• Create worktree for feature/fix work
• Each worktree is independent (own node_modules, build cache, etc.)
• Remove worktree when branch is merged
• Run git worktree prune to clean up stale references

Tips

• Worktrees share the same .git - commits are visible everywhere
• Don't forget to install dependencies in new worktree