git-worktrees

Original：🇺🇸 English

Translated

Use when needing multiple checked-out branches simultaneously without re-cloning — review a PR while keeping WIP, per-branch build caches, or hotfix alongside feature work

1installs

Sourcenarenaryan/agent-skills

Added on2026-04-18

NPX Install

npx skill4agent add narenaryan/agent-skills git-worktrees

SKILL.md Content

View Translation Comparison →

Git Worktrees

Second (and third, …) working directories linked to the same

.git

object store. One repo, many checkouts. Shared history, objects, refs, hooks, LFS — no re-clone.

Commands

bash

git worktree add ../hotfix hotfix-branch        # existing branch
git worktree add -b new-branch ../new main      # create from main
git worktree add --detach ../inspect <sha>      # for read-only review
git worktree list [--porcelain]
git worktree lock ../critical                   # prevent prune
git worktree move ../old ../new
git worktree remove ../hotfix                   # after cd out
git worktree prune                              # clean stale metadata
git worktree repair                             # fix links after moves

Rules

Same branch can't be checked out in two worktrees (use
```
--detach
```
or
```
--force
```
).
Main worktree can't be
```
remove
```
d — it owns
```
.git
```
.
```
rm -rf
```
on a worktree dir leaves
```
.git/worktrees/<name>/
```
— run
```
prune
```
.

Workflows

Review a PR without losing WIP:

bash

git worktree add ../review-1234 --detach origin/pr/1234

Hotfix during a long build:

bash

git worktree add -b hotfix/urgent ../hotfix origin/main

Per-branch dedicated build caches: each worktree has its own

node_modules

,

target/

, etc. — no cross-branch invalidation.

Parallel bisect: keep main worktree for editing, run

git bisect run

in a second.

Per-Worktree Config

bash

git config extensions.worktreeConfig true
git config --worktree user.email alt@example.com

core.bare

,

core.worktree

are always worktree-scoped.

Pitfalls

Hooks run for every worktree —
```
post-checkout
```
firing
```
yarn install
```
per-worktree is correct but noisy.
Stashes are shared across worktrees (single
```
refs/stash
```
). Label them.
IDE indexers can follow
```
.git
```
in a linked worktree back to the main repo — point the IDE at the worktree root.
Worktree on removable media that disappears →
```
git worktree prune
```
.

git-worktrees

NPX Install

Tags

SKILL.md Content

Git Worktrees

Commands

Rules

Workflows

Per-Worktree Config

Pitfalls