GIT-WORKTREE(1) Git Manual GIT-WORKTREE(1) NAME git-worktree - Manage multiple working trees SYNOPSIS git worktree add [-f] [--detach] [--checkout] [--lock [--reason ]] [--orphan] [(-b | -B) ] [] git worktree list [-v | --porcelain [-z]] git worktree lock [--reason ] git worktree move git worktree prune [-n] [-v] [--expire ] git worktree remove [-f] git worktree repair [...] git worktree unlock DESCRIPTION Manage multiple working trees attached to the same repository. A git repository can support multiple working trees, allowing you to check out more than one branch at a time. With git worktree add a new working tree is associated with the repository, along with additional metadata that differentiates that working tree from others in the same repository. The working tree, along with this metadata, is called a "worktree". This new worktree is called a "linked worktree" as opposed to the "main worktree" prepared by git-init(1) or git-clone(1). A repository has one main worktree (if it's not a bare repository) and zero or more linked worktrees. When you are done with a linked worktree, remove it with git worktree remove. In its simplest form, git worktree add automatically creates a new branch whose name is the final component of , which is convenient if you plan to work on a new topic. For instance, git worktree add ../hotfix creates new branch hotfix and checks it out at path ../hotfix. To instead work on an existing branch in a new worktree, use git worktree add . On the other hand, if you just plan to make some experimental changes or do testing without disturbing existing development, it is often convenient to create a throwaway worktree not associated with any branch. For instance, git worktree add -d creates a new worktree with a detached HEAD at the same commit as the current branch. If a working tree is deleted without using git worktree remove, then its associated administrative files, which reside in the repository (see "DETAILS" below), will eventually be removed automatically (see gc.worktreePruneExpire in git-config(1)), or you can run git worktree prune in the main or any linked worktree to clean up any stale administrative files. If the working tree for a linked worktree is stored on a portable device or network share which is not always mounted, you can prevent its administrative files from being pruned by issuing the git worktree lock command, optionally specifying --reason to explain why the worktree is locked. COMMANDS add [] Create a worktree at and checkout into it. The new worktree is linked to the current repository, sharing everything except per-worktree files such as HEAD, index, etc. As a convenience, may be a bare "-", which is synonymous with @{-1}. If is a branch name (call it ) and is not found, and neither -b nor -B nor --detach are used, but there does exist a tracking branch in exactly one remote (call it ) with a matching name, treat as equivalent to: $ git worktree add --track -b / If the branch exists in multiple remotes and one of them is named by the checkout.defaultRemote configuration variable, we'll use that one for the purposes of disambiguation, even if the isn't unique across all remotes. Set it to e.g. checkout.defaultRemote=origin to always checkout remote branches from there if is ambiguous but exists on the origin remote. See also checkout.defaultRemote in git-config(1). If is omitted and neither -b nor -B nor --detach used, then, as a convenience, the new worktree is associated with a branch (call it ) named after $(basename ). If doesn't exist, a new branch based on HEAD is automatically created as if -b was given. If does exist, it will be checked out in the new worktree, if it's not checked out anywhere else, otherwise the command will refuse to create the worktree (unless --force is used). If is omitted, neither --detach, or --orphan is used, and there are no valid local branches (or remote branches if --guess-remote is specified) then, as a convenience, the new worktree is associated with a new unborn branch named (after $(basename ) if neither -b or -B is used) as if --orphan was passed to the command. In the event the repository has a remote and --guess-remote is used, but no remote or local branches exist, then the command fails with a warning reminding the user to fetch from their remote first (or override by using -f/--force). list List details of each worktree. The main worktree is listed first, followed by each of the linked worktrees. The output details include whether the worktree is bare, the revision currently checked out, the branch currently checked out (or "detached HEAD" if none), "locked" if the worktree is locked, "prunable" if the worktree can be pruned by the prune command. lock If a worktree is on a portable device or network share which is not always mounted, lock it to prevent its administrative files from being pruned automatically. This also prevents it from being moved or deleted. Optionally, specify a reason for the lock with --reason. move Move a worktree to a new location. Note that the main worktree or linked worktrees containing submodules cannot be moved with this command. (The git worktree repair command, however, can reestablish the connection with linked worktrees if you move the main worktree manually.) prune Prune worktree information in $GIT_DIR/worktrees. remove Remove a worktree. Only clean worktrees (no untracked files and no modification in tracked files) can be removed. Unclean worktrees or ones with submodules can be removed with --force. The main worktree cannot be removed. repair [...] Repair worktree administrative files, if possible, if they have become corrupted or outdated due to external factors. For instance, if the main worktree (or bare repository) is moved, linked worktrees will be unable to locate it. Running repair in the main worktree will reestablish the connection from linked worktrees back to the main worktree. Similarly, if the working tree for a linked worktree is moved without using git worktree move, the main worktree (or bare repository) will be unable to locate it. Running repair within the recently-moved worktree will reestablish the connection. If multiple linked worktrees are moved, running repair from any worktree with each tree's new as an argument, will reestablish the connection to all the specified paths. If both the main worktree and linked worktrees have been moved manually, then running repair in the main worktree and specifying the new of each linked worktree will reestablish all connections in both directions. unlock Unlock a worktree, allowing it to be pruned, moved or deleted. OPTIONS -f, --force By default, add refuses to create a new worktree when is a branch name and is already checked out by another worktree, or if is already assigned to some worktree but is missing (for instance, if was deleted manually). This option overrides these safeguards. To add a missing but locked worktree path, specify --force twice. move refuses to move a locked worktree unless --force is specified twice. If the destination is already assigned to some other worktree but is missing (for instance, if was deleted manually), then --force allows the move to proceed; use --force twice if the destination is locked. remove refuses to remove an unclean worktree unless --force is used. To remove a locked worktree, specify --force twice. -b , -B With add, create a new branch named starting at , and check out into the new worktree. If is omitted, it defaults to HEAD. By default, -b refuses to create a new branch if it already exists. -B overrides this safeguard, resetting to . -d, --detach With add, detach HEAD in the new worktree. See "DETACHED HEAD" in git-checkout(1). --[no-]checkout By default, add checks out , however, --no-checkout can be used to suppress checkout in order to make customizations, such as configuring sparse-checkout. See "Sparse checkout" in git-read- tree(1). --[no-]guess-remote With worktree add , without , instead of creating a new branch from HEAD, if there exists a tracking branch in exactly one remote matching the basename of , base the new branch on the remote-tracking branch, and mark the remote-tracking branch as "upstream" from the new branch. This can also be set up as the default behaviour by using the worktree.guessRemote config option. --[no-]track When creating a new branch, if is a branch, mark it as "upstream" from the new branch. This is the default if is a remote-tracking branch. See --track in git-branch(1) for details. --lock Keep the worktree locked after creation. This is the equivalent of git worktree lock after git worktree add, but without a race condition. -n, --dry-run With prune, do not remove anything; just report what it would remove. --orphan With add, make the new worktree and index empty, associating the worktree with a new unborn branch named . --porcelain With list, output in an easy-to-parse format for scripts. This format will remain stable across Git versions and regardless of user configuration. It is recommended to combine this with -z. See below for details. -z Terminate each line with a NUL rather than a newline when --porcelain is specified with list. This makes it possible to parse the output when a worktree path contains a newline character. -q, --quiet With add, suppress feedback messages. -v, --verbose With prune, report all removals. With list, output additional information about worktrees (see below). --expire