| name | sl-worktree |
| description | Ensure work happens in an isolated git worktree without disturbing the current checkout. Use when starting work that should stay isolated, or when `sl-work` or `sl-code-review` offers a worktree option. Detects existing isolation first, prefers the harness's native worktree tool, and falls back to plain git. |
Worktree Isolation
Ensure the current work happens in an isolated workspace, without disturbing the user's main checkout. Most coding harnesses now create a worktree by default at session start, so the common case is that isolation already exists — detect that first and do not create a redundant one.
Order of operations: detect existing isolation -> prefer a native worktree tool -> fall back to plain git. Never create a worktree the harness cannot see.
Step 0: Detect existing isolation
Before creating anything, check whether the current directory is already a linked worktree. Compare the resolved absolute git dir against the resolved absolute common git dir — resolve each to an absolute path first and compare those, not the raw git rev-parse output. Git mixes absolute and relative forms depending on the current directory (from a subdirectory of a normal checkout, --git-dir comes back absolute while --git-common-dir may be relative), so a raw string compare yields a false "already isolated":
git rev-parse --absolute-git-dir
(cd "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)" && pwd -P)
If the two absolute paths are equal, this is a normal checkout — continue to Step 1.
If they differ, you are in a linked worktree or a submodule. Distinguish them:
git rev-parse --show-superproject-working-tree
- Non-empty output -> you are in a submodule; treat it as a normal checkout and continue to Step 1.
- Empty output -> you are already in an isolated worktree. Report the worktree path (
git rev-parse --show-toplevel) and current branch, and work in place. Do not create another worktree — a worktree-from-worktree lands in the wrong tree and is invisible to the harness that made the current one.
Step 1: Prefer the harness's native worktree tool
If the harness provides a native worktree primitive — for example an EnterWorktree / WorktreeCreate tool, a /worktree command, or a --worktree flag — use it and stop. Native tools place, track, and clean up the worktree so the harness can manage it. A behind-the-back git worktree add creates phantom state the harness cannot see, navigate to, or clean up.
Step 2: Git fallback
Only when there is no native tool and Step 0 found no existing isolation.
- Run from the repo root. The
.worktrees/ and .gitignore paths below are repo-root-relative, but the skill runs from the user's current directory, which may be a subdirectory — so move to the root first: cd "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)". Without this, .worktrees/<branch> and the .gitignore edit would land in the subdirectory (e.g. src/.worktrees/..., src/.gitignore) instead of at the repo root.
- Choose a meaningful branch name from the work description (e.g.
feat/login, fix/email-validation) — avoid opaque auto-generated names. Pick a base branch (default: origin's default branch, else main).
- Ensure
.worktrees/ is gitignored before creating anything, so worktree contents are never committed: check git check-ignore -q .worktrees/ — with the trailing slash, so an existing directory-only .worktrees/ rule is honored even before the directory exists (git check-ignore .worktrees without the slash would miss it and dirty a correctly-configured repo). If it is not ignored, add a .worktrees/ line to .gitignore.
- Best-effort refresh the base branch without disturbing the current checkout:
git fetch origin <from-branch>. This is non-fatal — if it errors (no origin remote, a differently-named remote, or a local-only branch), do not abort; continue to the next step and use the local ref.
- Create the worktree from the remote base when available, else the local ref:
git worktree add -b <branch-name> .worktrees/<branch-name> origin/<from-branch>. If origin/<from-branch> does not exist, use the local <from-branch> ref instead.
- Switch into it:
cd .worktrees/<branch-name>.
If git worktree add fails with a sandbox or permission error, the requested isolation could not be created. This needs a blocking user decision before touching the current checkout — do not silently continue there (the user chose isolation specifically to avoid it, especially when sl-work / sl-code-review routed here for the worktree option). Report the failure and ask via AskUserQuestion (call ToolSearch with select:AskUserQuestion first if its schema isn't loaded) — offering options such as "work in the current checkout" vs "stop and resolve the permission issue". If it is unavailable or the call errors, present the numbered options in chat and wait for the reply; never skip the confirmation. Only work in the current checkout on explicit confirmation, and do not retry alternative paths automatically.
Other worktree operations
Use git directly — no wrapper is needed:
git worktree list
git worktree remove .worktrees/<branch>
cd .worktrees/<branch>
cd "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)"
When to create a worktree
Create one (Step 1/2) only when you are not already isolated and you need a separate workspace:
- Reviewing a PR while keeping the current checkout free for other work
- Running multiple features in parallel without branch-switching overhead
Do not create a worktree for single-task work that can happen on a branch in the current checkout — and never when Step 0 shows you are already in one.
Integration
sl-work and sl-code-review offer this skill as an option. When the user selects "worktree" in those flows, run Step 0 first: if the work is already isolated, proceed in place; otherwise create one (native tool preferred) with a meaningful branch name derived from the work description.
Troubleshooting
"Worktree already exists": the path is in use. Switch to it (cd .worktrees/<branch>) or remove it (git worktree remove .worktrees/<branch>) before recreating.
"Cannot remove worktree: it is the current worktree": cd out of the worktree first, then git worktree remove.
