Mastering Git Worktrees: Parallel Development with AI Agents

We've all been there. You're deep in the zone, refactoring a complex component on feature-branch-A. Suddenly, a critical bug report comes in.

The Old Way:

1. git stash (Hope you remember what was in there).
2. git checkout main.
3. git pull.
4. git checkout -b hotfix-critical-bug.
5. npm install (Wait 2 minutes because package-lock.json changed).
6. Fix the bug.
7. Switch back, npm install again, git stash pop.
8. Where was I?

The Worktree Way:

1. Go to a new folder.
2. Fix the bug.
3. Close the folder.

Git Worktrees allow you to have multiple branches of the same repository checked out at the same time in different directories.

Instead of swapping the files in your current directory (which git checkout does), a worktree creates a new directory linked to the same .git history but with a different branch checked out.

EXPANDCOPY
bash
# Add a new worktree for a feature branch
git worktree add ../my-app-feature feature-branch

# List active worktrees
git worktree list

# Remove a worktree when done
git worktree remove ../my-app-feature

With worktrees, you can:

1. Run different versions of your app simultaneously. Have localhost:3000 running main (for reference) and localhost:3001 running your feature (for dev).
2. Zero npm install fatigue. Each worktree has its own node_modules. Switching context is instant because you aren't actually switching files, just windows.

This is where it gets sci-fi.

If you are using LLM agents like Gemini CLI, Devin (does anyone remember Devin???), or GitHub Copilot Workspace, they usually lock your terminal or editor while working.

With Worktrees, you can act as a Manager for multiple AI Agents working in parallel.

Imagine a project structure like this:

EXPANDCOPY
text
/workhammer
  /main (Your "stable" repo)
  /feat-ui (Worktree: Agent 1 refactoring CSS)
  /feat-backend (Worktree: Agent 2 migrating database)
  /fix-auth (Worktree: Agent 3 fixing login bug)

1. Delegate Task A: Open a terminal in /feat-ui. Tell the AI: "Refactor the sidebar to use Tailwind Grid." Let it run.
2. Delegate Task B: Open a terminal in /feat-backend. Tell the AI: "Update the Prisma schema for the new User model." Let it run.
3. Review: While they work, you sit in /main and review Pull Requests or plan the next sprint.

Because worktrees are isolated directories, the Agents don't step on each other's toes. They don't fight over git.lock files or overwrite each other's uncommitted changes.

• Gitignore: Make sure your .gitignore is solid. You don't want build artifacts from one tree leaking (though usually, they are separated by folders anyway).
• Disk Space: Remember, node_modules is heavy. 5 worktrees = 5x the node_modules size. Prune your worktrees (git worktree prune) often.
• VS Code Profiles: Use VS Code Workspaces to manage these multi-root setups easily.

Git Worktrees are a developer superpower. Combined with AI agents, they transform you from a single-threaded coder into a parallel-processing technical lead. Stop context switching; start forking your environment.