git-worktree

name	git-worktree
class	tool
description	Manage Git worktrees for isolated parallel development. Use when creating, listing, switching, or cleaning up git worktrees, or when needing isolated branches for concurrent reviews or feature work.

Git worktree manager

GATE: If the task runs inside an existing worktree (a worktree path is given and no create/remove/switch is requested), none of the creation flow applies — work in place and skip this skill. To check: git rev-parse --show-toplevel appears as a linked entry in git worktree list.

Always use the manager script

Never call git worktree add directly -- always use the worktree-manager.sh script.

The script handles critical setup that raw git commands don't:

1. Copies .env, .env.local, .env.test, etc. from main repo
2. Ensures .worktrees is in .gitignore
3. Creates consistent directory structure
4. After creation, install dependencies if detected: package.json → npm install, composer.json → composer install, pyproject.toml → pip install -e ., go.mod → go mod download

All commands use: bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/skills/ia-git-worktree/scripts/worktree-manager.sh <command>. If CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT is unset (non-Claude-Code harness), resolve the script relative to this skill's own directory.

The manager script branches from a fresh origin/<base>; if the prompt is unanswered it defaults to origin/<base> and lists unpushed commits in its output — report them in the change summary. Details: troubleshooting.md.

Commands

Command	Description	Example
create <branch> [from]	Create worktree + branch (default: from main)	...worktree-manager.sh create feature-login
list / ls	List all worktrees with status	...worktree-manager.sh list
switch <name> / go	Switch to existing worktree	...worktree-manager.sh switch feature-login
copy-env <name>	Copy .env files to existing worktree	...worktree-manager.sh copy-env feature-login
cleanup / clean	Interactively remove inactive worktrees	...worktree-manager.sh cleanup

After cleanup, run git worktree prune to remove any orphaned worktree metadata from manually deleted directories.

Safety Verification

Before creating a worktree, verify the worktree directory is gitignored:

# Verify .worktrees is ignored (should output ".worktrees")
git check-ignore .worktrees || echo "WARNING: .worktrees not in .gitignore"

If not ignored, add it to .gitignore before proceeding.

After creating a worktree, run the project's test suite (or the fastest relevant subset if the full suite exceeds a few minutes) to establish a clean baseline. Pre-existing failures in the worktree should be caught before starting new work -- not discovered mid-implementation.

Environment Detection

Before creating worktrees, detect the execution context:

1. Codex/sandbox environment? If $CODEX_SANDBOX is set or the repo is at a non-standard path (e.g., /tmp/, /workspace/), worktrees may not be supported. Fall back to regular branch switching.
2. Bare repo? If git rev-parse --is-bare-repository returns true, worktrees are the only way to have a working directory. Adjust paths accordingly.

Adapt the workflow to the detected context rather than failing with a generic error.

Integration with Workflows

/ia-review

1. Check current branch
2. If ALREADY on target branch -> stay there, no worktree needed
3. If DIFFERENT branch -> Ask via AskUserQuestion (Claude Code; load with ToolSearch select:AskUserQuestion if not loaded) or request_user_input (Codex); fall back to numbered options in chat. Options: 1) review in a new worktree 2) switch branch in place

/ia-work

Always offer choice:

1. New branch on current worktree (live work)
2. Worktree (parallel work)

Branch Completion

When work in a worktree is done, verify tests pass, then present exactly 4 options. Ask via AskUserQuestion (Claude Code; load with ToolSearch select:AskUserQuestion if not loaded) or request_user_input (Codex); fall back to numbered options in chat.

1. Merge locally -- merge into base branch, delete worktree branch, clean up worktree
2. Push + PR -- push branch, create PR with gh pr create, keep worktree until merged
3. Keep as-is -- leave branch and worktree for later
4. Discard -- requires typing "discard" to confirm. Deletes branch and worktree. No silent discards.

Change Summary

When completing work in a worktree (before merge or PR), output a structured summary:

CHANGES MADE:
- src/routes/tasks.ts: Added validation middleware

THINGS I DIDN'T TOUCH (intentionally):
- src/routes/auth.ts: Has similar validation gap but out of scope

POTENTIAL CONCERNS:
- The Zod schema is strict -- rejects extra fields. Confirm this is desired.

The "DIDN'T TOUCH" section prevents reviewers from wondering whether adjacent issues were missed or intentionally deferred.

Hooks and Local Excludes

Before writing any git hook, check git config core.hooksPath — Husky repos ignore .git/hooks/ entirely. Personal tooling excludes go in $(git rev-parse --git-path info/exclude), never the tracked .gitignore. Details: hooks-and-excludes.md

Verify

• git worktree list shows the new entry
• .worktrees directory confirmed in .gitignore
• Dependencies installed in the worktree
• Baseline test suite passes in the worktree

References

• workflow-examples.md - Code review and parallel development workflows
• troubleshooting.md - Common issues, fresh-remote-base behavior, directory structure, how it works
• hooks-and-excludes.md - Hook safety under Husky, .git/info/exclude vs .gitignore
• worktree-manager.sh - The manager script