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Git Worktree - The Game Changer for Multi-Branch Development

· 3 min read

https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/common-workflows#run-parallel-claude-code-sessions-with-git-worktree

I discovered this incredibly useful Git worktree feature from Claude's development docs!

Git worktrees allow you to check out multiple branches from the same repository into separate directories. Each worktree has its own working directory with isolated files, while sharing the same Git history. Learn more in the official Git worktree documentation.

The Common Developer Dilemma​

Picture this familiar scenario: You're working on branch A, editing a.txt, when suddenly you get an urgent request to create a new branch B from main to fix b.txt. Now you're stuck - what do you do with your unfinished changes on branch A?

Your usual instincts might be:

  1. commit - But your work isn't ready for a commit yet!
  2. stash - Too many commands to remember, and it's easy to get confused

The Better Solution: Worktrees​

git worktree lets you handle branch B in a completely isolated working directory. When you're done, you can seamlessly return to branch A and continue working without worrying about losing your changes.

# Create new branch_b from main and set up a worktree in ./branch_b_repo
git worktree add -b branch_b ./branch_b_repo main

Now you can work on both branches simultaneously - no more stashing headaches!

Perfect Use Cases with Claude Code​

Worktrees are especially handy when using Claude Code for development. Here are some killer scenarios:

Parallel Feature Development​

You're using Claude to build a new feature when suddenly you need to fix a bug on another branch. Just spin up another Claude Code session with a worktree:

# Create a new worktree for the hotfix
git worktree add -b hotfix-user-auth ./hotfix-repo main

# Fire up Claude in the new directory
cd hotfix-repo
claude-code

Code Review Assistant​

When using Claude for code reviews, you can easily check out different branches:

# Create worktree for the PR branch
git worktree add ./pr-review feature-branch

# Let Claude analyze the code in the review directory
cd pr-review
claude-code "Help me review the changes in this PR"

Experimental Development​

When you want to try risky refactoring or experimental features:

# Create an experimental worktree
git worktree add -b experiment-refactor ./experiment main

# Let Claude go wild with refactoring in the safe environment
cd experiment
claude-code "Help me refactor the entire data layer architecture"

Even if the experiment fails, your main development progress stays untouched.