using-git-worktrees

name

using-git-worktrees

description

Git worktree management with tmux integration and task dispatch. Use when creating isolated dev environments, launching parallel feature work, running multiple Claude instances, managing worktrees, dispatching tasks to worktree terminals, or cleaning up after merge. Covers worktree creation in .claude/worktrees/, tmux window management in the current session, and command dispatch. Also use when someone says "create a worktree", "launch in a worktree", "worktree for story X", or "parallel development".

Git Worktrees with tmux Integration

Create isolated workspaces, open them in tmux windows within your current session, and dispatch tasks — all in one flow.

Core Flow

1. Create worktree     → git worktree add .claude/worktrees/{name} -b {branch}
2. Create tmux window  → new window in CURRENT session named {session}-{name}
3. cd into worktree    → send-keys to the new window
4. Dispatch task       → send-keys with the command to execute

Workflow Routing

Intent	Action
"create worktree for X"	Create → steps 1-3 only
"create worktree and run Y"	Create + Dispatch → steps 1-4
"clean up worktree X"	Cleanup → remove worktree + tmux window + optionally delete branch
"list worktrees"	Show git worktree list
"analyze for parallelization"	Read references/bmad-orchestration.md for BMAD-specific dependency analysis
"merge worktree branches"	Read references/bmad-orchestration.md for merge workflow

Step 1: Create Worktree

Safety Check

Before creating, verify .claude/worktrees/ is git-ignored:

# Check if ignored (test with a hypothetical file)
git check-ignore .claude/worktrees/test 2>/dev/null

If NOT ignored, add to .gitignore immediately:

echo ".claude/worktrees/" >> .gitignore
# Stage and commit the gitignore change

Create

REPO_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
WORKTREE_NAME="the-feature-name"
BRANCH_NAME="feature/the-feature-name"  # or bmad/story-1-3 etc.
BASE_BRANCH="main"  # or current branch

mkdir -p "$REPO_ROOT/.claude/worktrees"
git worktree add "$REPO_ROOT/.claude/worktrees/$WORKTREE_NAME" -b "$BRANCH_NAME" "$BASE_BRANCH"

Verify

git worktree list

Step 2: Create tmux Window

Create a new window in the current tmux session (not a new session). The window name follows the pattern {current-session-name}-{worktree-name} so it's easy to identify.

# Get current tmux session name
SESSION=$(tmux display-message -p '#S')
WINDOW_NAME="${SESSION}-${WORKTREE_NAME}"
WORKTREE_PATH="$REPO_ROOT/.claude/worktrees/$WORKTREE_NAME"

# Create window in current session, starting in worktree directory
tmux new-window -t "$SESSION" -n "$WINDOW_NAME" -c "$WORKTREE_PATH"

Step 3: Ensure Working Directory

The -c flag in step 2 already sets the initial directory, but if you need to explicitly cd (e.g., shell profile overrides it):

tmux send-keys -t "${SESSION}:${WINDOW_NAME}" "cd '$WORKTREE_PATH'" Enter

Step 4: Dispatch Task (Optional)

Send a command to the new tmux window:

# Example: launch Claude Code with a task
tmux send-keys -t "${SESSION}:${WINDOW_NAME}" "claude 'your task here'" Enter

# Example: run a BMAD skill
tmux send-keys -t "${SESSION}:${WINDOW_NAME}" "claude '/bmad-create-story story 1-3'" Enter

# Example: run any shell command
tmux send-keys -t "${SESSION}:${WINDOW_NAME}" "make test" Enter

For unattended execution (no permission prompts):

tmux send-keys -t "${SESSION}:${WINDOW_NAME}" "claude --dangerously-skip-permissions 'your task'" Enter

Important: Only use --dangerously-skip-permissions if the user explicitly requests it.

Cleanup Workflow

After work is complete and merged:

WORKTREE_NAME="the-feature-name"
REPO_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)
SESSION=$(tmux display-message -p '#S')

# 1. Kill the tmux window
tmux kill-window -t "${SESSION}:${SESSION}-${WORKTREE_NAME}" 2>/dev/null

# 2. Remove the git worktree
git worktree remove "$REPO_ROOT/.claude/worktrees/$WORKTREE_NAME"

# 3. Optionally delete the branch (only if merged)
git branch -d "$BRANCH_NAME" 2>/dev/null

# 4. Prune stale worktree references
git worktree prune

Quick Reference

Situation	Action
.claude/worktrees/ exists	Use it (verify ignored)
Not in .gitignore	Add .claude/worktrees/ and commit
Not in tmux	Skip tmux steps, just create worktree and report path
Branch already exists	Use git worktree add <path> <existing-branch> (no -b)
Worktree path exists	Report error, ask user to remove or pick different name

Naming Conventions

Element	Pattern	Example
Worktree directory	.claude/worktrees/{name}	.claude/worktrees/story-1-3
Branch	{convention}/{name}	bmad/story-1-3-deploy-nat-gateway
tmux window	{session}-{name}	myproject-golden-image-story-1-3

The branch naming convention depends on the project. Check CLAUDE.md for project-specific patterns (e.g., bmad/story-{id} for BMAD projects).

Troubleshooting

Branch already checked out:

# Another worktree has this branch — remove it first or use a different name
git worktree list  # find which worktree has the branch

tmux window name conflict:

# Rename or kill the conflicting window
tmux kill-window -t "session:conflicting-name" 2>/dev/null

Worktree not in .gitignore after adding:

# .gitignore uses directory patterns — ensure trailing slash
# Check with: git check-ignore .claude/worktrees/testfile

References

• WORKFLOW.md — Detailed step-by-step workflow with edge cases
• references/bmad-orchestration.md — BMAD sprint parallelization, dependency analysis, and merge workflows
• references/tmux-integration.md — Advanced tmux configuration for worktrees
• scripts/setup-worktree.sh — Shell script for automated worktree setup

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Gotchas

• .claude/worktrees/ conflicts with .gitignore defaults — must explicitly ignore it or the parent repo sees worktree files as untracked.
• tmux session names with worktree paths hit filename length limits — use short branch-based names or the socket path errors.
• Concurrent git status across worktrees can fail with index.lock errors — git locks the index per-repo, not per-worktree.
• BMAD-specific parallel work assumes disjoint files: overlapping edits across stories cause merge headaches at integration.
• Shell prompts that read git branch via the worktree path can be slow — disable expensive prompt parts in worktrees.