Claude Code — Git Worktrees

Skill for answering questions and performing utility actions about worktrees in Claude Code.

To create an isolated workspace before implementing features, use superpowers:using-git-worktrees. This skill covers Claude Code's native features: CLI flags, tools, hooks, configuration, and subagents.

Quick concept

A git worktree is a separate working directory with its own branch, sharing the same history and remote as the main repo. Each Claude Code session in its own worktree avoids edit collisions between parallel sessions.

Starting Claude in a worktree

--worktree / -w flag

# Creates worktree at .claude/worktrees/feature-auth/ with branch worktree-feature-auth
claude --worktree feature-auth

# Second isolated session in parallel
claude --worktree bugfix-123

# Auto-generated name (e.g. bright-running-fox)
claude --worktree

Add .claude/worktrees/ to .gitignore so it does not appear as untracked in the main checkout.

First time in a directory

Before using --worktree in a new directory, run claude once to accept the workspace trust dialog. Without this, --worktree exits with an error.

Worktree base branch

By default, the worktree starts from origin/HEAD (clean remote). To change:

{
  "worktree": {
    "baseRef": "head"
  }
}

"head" → starts from local HEAD (includes unpushed commits). Only accepts "fresh" or "head".

Worktree from a PR

# By PR number
claude --worktree "#1234"

# Or by full GitHub PR URL
claude --worktree "https://github.com/org/repo/pull/1234"

Creates worktree at .claude/worktrees/pr-1234 by fetching pull/1234/head.

Copying gitignored files to worktrees

Worktrees are clean checkouts — .env, .env.local, etc. are not present. To copy them automatically, create .worktreeinclude at the project root:

.env
.env.local
config/secrets.json

Uses .gitignore syntax. Only copies files that are also in .gitignore — tracked files are never duplicated.

Applies to: --worktree, subagent worktrees, and parallel sessions in the desktop app.

Native tools (within a session)

During a Claude Code session, ask Claude:

• "work in a worktree" → Claude uses the EnterWorktree tool to create and enter a worktree
• "exit worktree" → Claude uses ExitWorktree

Subagents created with the Agent tool with isolation: "worktree" receive temporary worktrees automatically.

Subagent isolation

Ad-hoc (asking Claude)

"use worktrees for your agents"

Permanent in a custom subagent

Agent frontmatter:

isolation: worktree

Each subagent receives a temporary worktree removed automatically upon finishing without changes.

Subagent worktrees start from the same baseRef configured for --worktree.

Cleanup and lifecycle

Clean up non-interactive worktree:

git worktree remove .claude/worktrees/worktree-name

Orphaned subagent worktrees (crash/interruption) are removed on the next startup if they are older than cleanupPeriodDays and have no changes.

Manual management with git

# Create worktree on new branch
git worktree add ../project-feature-a -b feature-a

# Create worktree from existing branch
git worktree add ../project-bugfix bugfix-123

# Start Claude in the worktree
cd ../project-feature-a && claude

# List worktrees
git worktree list

# Remove worktree
git worktree remove ../project-feature-a

Each new worktree needs project setup (deps, virtual env, etc.).

Hooks for advanced customization

WorktreeCreate

Replaces the default git worktree add logic. Useful for: non-git VCS (SVN, Perforce, Mercurial), custom placement, custom branch logic.

Receives JSON via stdin with the name field. Must print the created directory path to stdout.

SVN example:

{
  "hooks": {
    "WorktreeCreate": [
      {
        "hooks": [
          {
            "type": "command",
            "command": "bash -c 'NAME=$(jq -r .name); DIR=\"$HOME/.claude/worktrees/$NAME\"; svn checkout https://svn.example.com/repo/trunk \"$DIR\" >&2 && echo \"$DIR\"'"
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

WorktreeRemove

Partner of WorktreeCreate — cleans up at end of session.

When WorktreeCreate is configured, .worktreeinclude is not processed automatically. Copy local configs inside the hook script.

Desktop App

The desktop app creates a worktree for each new session automatically — no flag needed. See desktop parallel sessions.

Additional references

• references/worktree-reference.md — full scenario table, troubleshooting, and comparison with subagents/agent teams