István Engineering

Git Worktrees

Git worktrees allow you to check out multiple branches simultaneously in different directories. This is useful when you need to work on multiple features or bug fixes without constantly switching branches or stashing changes.

Creating a New Worktree

Create a new worktree in a separate directory:

# Create a new worktree for an existing branch
git worktree add ../feature-branch feature-branch


# Create a new worktree and new branch in one command
git worktree add -b new-feature ../new-feature


# Create from a specific remote branch
git worktree add ../bugfix origin/bugfix

Listing Worktrees

See all worktrees associated with your repository:

git worktree list


# Output example:
# /path/to/main-repo    abcd123 [master]
# /path/to/feature-branch    ef45678 [feature-branch]

Removing a Worktree

Remove a worktree when you're done with it:

# Remove the worktree directory first
rm -rf ../feature-branch


# Then remove the worktree from git's tracking
git worktree remove ../feature-branch


# Or force removal even with uncommitted changes
git worktree remove --force ../feature-branch

Cleaning Up Stale Worktrees

Remove worktree administrative data for directories that have been manually deleted:

git worktree prune


# See what would be pruned without actually doing it
git worktree prune --dry-run

Common Use Cases

  • Emergency hotfixes: Quickly switch to production code without stashing your current work
  • Code reviews: Check out a PR branch while keeping your main work intact
  • Testing: Run tests on one branch while developing on another
  • Comparing branches: Have multiple branches open side-by-side for easy comparison