A Curated List of Practical Git Worktree Use Cases

This article is available in french.

Git worktrees are one of those Git features that sound optional—until the day they quietly eliminate half your workflow friction.

If you’ve ever:

• cloned the same repository multiple times;
• stashed changes just to switch context;
• do recurrent code reviews;
• or delayed a hotfix because your branch was “too messy”…

…then Git worktrees are for you.

This article presents curated, real-world use cases for Git worktrees, each paired with minimal command snippets that show how the workflow actually looks—without turning the post into a manual.

A Quick Mental Model

A Git worktree lets you check out multiple branches of the same repository at the same time, each in its own directory, while sharing a single .git database.

One repository → multiple working directories → zero stashing.

Throughout this article, we’ll assume a simple convention:

• your main repo lives in my-repo/
• worktrees live next to it in ../wt/

Parallel Feature Development Without Context Switching

The problem: you’re deep into Feature A when Feature B suddenly becomes urgent. Stashing feels risky. Committing feels premature.
The worktree approach: give each feature its own working directory.

git worktree add -b feature/audit-logs ../wt/audit-logs origin/master

This single command does three things at once:

1. Create a new branch called feature/audit-logs
2. starting from origin/master
3. check it out into the directory …/wt/audit-logs.

Now:

• my-repo/ → Feature A
• ../wt/audit-logs/ → Feature B

You don’t “switch context” anymore—you physically move between contexts. Editors, terminals, and mental state stay clean.

Once Feature B commited/pushed, you can remove the worktree with the command git worktree remove ../wt/audit-logs/ from the directory my-repo/.

Hotfixes Without Interrupting Ongoing Work

The problem: production is broken, but your current branch is half-refactored and unsafe to commit.
The worktree approach: spin up a hotfix directly from master.

git fetch origin
git worktree add -b hotfix/critical-bug ../wt/hotfix-critical origin/master

Fix, commit, push—without touching your in-progress work.

Hotfixes stay pure. No rebasing, no cherry-picking from a dirty branch.
When production is involved, this alone justifies worktrees.

Reviewing Pull Requests Without Disturbing Your Own Branch

The problem: you want to run a teammate’s PR locally, but you’re mid-feature. The worktree approach: check out the PR into its own directory.

git fetch origin pull/123/head:pr-123
git worktree add ../wt/pr-123 pr-123

Run the app, tests, migrations—then delete the directory when done.

Code review becomes an isolated activity, not something that derails your day.

git fetch origin pull/123/head:pr-123 means retrieve from origin the PR pull/123/head (the head commit of the PR branch on Github) and write it localy in the branch pr-123.

Long-Running Experiments and Spikes

The problem You want to explore a risky idea that may not survive, and you don’t want it bleeding into “real” branches.

The worktree approach Create a spike branch with its own worktree.

git worktree add -b spike/new-cache-strategy ../wt/spike-cache origin/master

Why this works Experiments become cheap and disposable. If it fails, you delete a folder—not untangle a branch history.

Release Preparation While Development Continues

The problem You need to stabilize a release branch while new features keep moving forward.

The worktree approach One worktree per release.

git worktree add ../wt/release-1.8 release/1.8

Bug fixes, version bumps, and tags live there—while your main repo continues on develop or master.

Why this works Release work stays conservative. Development stays fast. No accidental cross-contamination.

Running Multiple Versions of the App Side-by-Side

The problem: you need to compare behavior between master and a refactor branch.
The worktree approach: run both versions simultaneously.

git worktree add ../wt/run-master origin/master
git worktree add ../wt/run-refactor feature/big-refactor

Each directory runs its own instance.
Perfect for regressions, migrations, performance comparisons, and “what actually changed?” investigations.

Teaching, Demos, and Documentation

The problem: live demos and tutorials suffer from branch switching and waiting.
The worktree approach: prepare one worktree per demo step.

git worktree add ../wt/demo-step-1 demo/step-1
git worktree add ../wt/demo-step-2 demo/step-2

You jump instantly between known-good states. This is gold for workshops, talks, and blog screenshots.

Debugging CI Failures Across Commits

The problem: CI fails on one branch, passes on another, and you need to compare locally.
The worktree approach: pin worktrees to the failing states.

git worktree add ../wt/ci-fail origin/failing-branch
git worktree add --detach ../wt/ci-commit abcdef1234

You can keep multiple failing states around simultaneously—no recloning, no guesswork.

git worktree add --detach ../wt/ci-commit abcdef1234 creates a worktree checked out at a specific commit, without attaching it to any branch, it’s a snapshot, not a moving line of history.

It’s used to:

• inspect the repo exactly as CI saw it
• run tests or builds
• compare with another commit or branch

Taming Large Repos and Monorepos

The problem: branch switching in a monorepo is slow, risky, and mentally taxing. The worktree approach: assign worktrees by domain or initiative.

git worktree add ../wt/frontend feature/frontend-redesign
git worktree add ../wt/backend feature/backend-perf

Each worktree becomes a stable “workspace.” Tooling, caches, and focus stay localized.

Clean Separation of IDEs, Tooling, and Containers

The problem: IDEs, language servers, and containers dislike frequent branch switches. The worktree approach: one worktree per tooling context.

git worktree add ../wt/go feature/go-migration
git worktree add ../wt/js feature/ui-overhaul

Each IDE window has a stable filesystem and branch. No re-indexing. No broken debug configs.

Managing Worktrees (The Only Commands You Really Need)

List active worktrees:

git worktree list

Remove a worktree cleanly:

git worktree remove ../wt/pr-123

Clean up stale metadata:

git worktree prune

Delete the associated branch (optional):

git branch -d pr-123

Final Thoughts

Git worktrees don’t replace branching—they unlock its full potential.

They reward engineers who:

• work in parallel;
• support production systems;
• review code seriously;
• and value low-friction workflows.

If you’ve ever cloned a repo “just to keep things clean,” you were already doing worktrees—manually.
Once you adopt them intentionally, going back feels unnecessary.