Git Worktree — Simultaneous Branches Without Stashing Chaos

The standard Git workflow forces you to stash or commit before switching branches. git worktree removes this constraint entirely. Each worktree is a full working directory linked to the same .git database. You can build and test both branches simultaneously, switch between them instantly, and never lose context. The one constraint: a branch can only be checked out in one worktree at a time. This guide covers setup, the constraint that caught a team mid-deploy, and how to integrate worktrees into your daily workflow.

Setting Up and Managing Worktrees

git worktree add <path> <branch> creates a new worktree. If <branch> doesn't exist, add -b to create it. Each worktree has its own working directory, index, and HEAD. They share objects, refs, and config from the parent .git.

git worktree list shows all worktrees with their paths, branches, and commit SHAs. git worktree remove <path> (or git worktree prune) cleans up. Deleting the worktree directory manually requires git worktree prune to clean the metadata.

The key constraint: you cannot check out the same branch in two worktrees. If you try, Git rejects with 'fatal: '<branch>' is already checked out at '<other-path>''.

# Add a worktree for a hotfix
git worktree add ../hotfix-fix -b hotfix/login-error
cd ../hotfix-fix
echo 'Fix login error' >> fix.txt
git add . && git commit -m 'fix: login validation'

# Meanwhile, the original repo is untouched
cd ../original-repo
git status  # clean, still on your feature branch

# List all worktrees
git worktree list

# When done, clean up
rm -rf ../hotfix-fix
git worktree prune
git worktree list