git worktree cheat sheet: every command on one page

# add ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
git worktree add -b feature/x ../app-x        # new branch (the usual)
git worktree add ../app-hot hotfix/login      # existing branch
git worktree add ../app-spike                 # branch named after the dir
git worktree add -b review ../app-r origin/pr-42
git worktree add --detach ../app-v1 v1.0.0    # read-only look
git worktree add -B feature/x ../app-x main   # reset the branch first
git worktree add --orphan -b docs ../app-docs # empty, unborn branch
git worktree add --no-checkout ../app-empty   # create, populate later
git worktree add --lock --reason "usb" ../app-usb

# list ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
git worktree list                             # human
git worktree list -v                          # + lock and prune reasons
git worktree list --porcelain                 # for scripts
git worktree list --porcelain -z              # NUL-terminated
git worktree list --expire 2.weeks.ago        # annotate old records

# remove ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
git worktree remove ../app-x
git worktree remove --force ../app-x          # even if dirty
git worktree remove -f -f ../app-usb          # even if locked

# prune ──────────────────────────────────────────────────
git worktree prune -n -v                      # see first, always
git worktree prune
git worktree prune --expire 2.weeks.ago

# move / lock / repair ───────────────────────────────────
git worktree move ../app-x ../renamed
git worktree lock ../app-usb --reason "on an external disk"
git worktree unlock ../app-usb
git worktree repair                           # from the main worktree
git worktree repair ../moved-worktree         # after moving one by hand

$ git worktree list
/Users/you/code/app        ad7da80 [main]
/Users/you/code/app-det    ad7da80 (detached HEAD)
/Users/you/code/app-usb    ad7da80 [usb] locked
/Users/you/code/app-gone   ad7da80 [gone] prunable
/Users/you/code/app-auth   b91c4f2 [feature/auth]

$ git worktree list -v
/Users/you/code/app        ad7da80 [main]
/Users/you/code/app-usb    ad7da80 [usb]
	locked: on an external disk
/Users/you/code/app-gone   ad7da80 [gone]
	prunable: gitdir file points to non-existent location

$ git worktree list --porcelain
worktree /Users/you/code/app
HEAD ad7da806c132de9e6d724d0c6893bddb0bb4d20c
branch refs/heads/main

worktree /Users/you/code/app-det
HEAD ad7da806c132de9e6d724d0c6893bddb0bb4d20c
detached

worktree /Users/you/code/app-gone
HEAD ad7da806c132de9e6d724d0c6893bddb0bb4d20c
branch refs/heads/gone
prunable gitdir file points to non-existent location

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# wt <branch> - a worktree you can immediately work in
set -euo pipefail
name="$1"
dir="../$(basename "$PWD")-${name//\//-}"

git worktree add -b "$name" "$dir"

for f in .env .env.local; do
  if [ -f "$f" ]; then cp "$f" "$dir/"; fi
done

cd "$dir"
if   [ -f pnpm-lock.yaml ];    then pnpm install
elif [ -f package-lock.json ]; then npm ci
elif [ -f bun.lockb ];         then bun install
fi

echo "$dir"

wtj() {
  local dir
  dir=$(git worktree list | fzf --height 40% | awk '{print $1}') || return
  cd "$dir" || return
}

git worktree list --porcelain \
 | awk '/^worktree /{p=$2} /^branch /{print p, $2}' \
 | while read -r path ref; do
     b="${ref#refs/heads/}"
     [ "$b" = "main" ] && continue
     git merge-base --is-ancestor "$b" main 2>/dev/null \
       && git worktree remove "$path" && git branch -d "$b"
   done

git worktree list --porcelain \
 | awk '/^worktree /{print $2}' \
 | while read -r p; do
     n=$(git -C "$p" status --porcelain | wc -l | tr -d " ")
     [ "$n" -gt 0 ] && printf "%-40s %s changed\n" "$p" "$n"
   done

git clone --bare git@github.com:you/app.git app/.bare
cd app
echo "gitdir: ./.bare" > .git
git config remote.origin.fetch "+refs/heads/*:refs/remotes/origin/*"
git fetch origin

git worktree add main
git worktree add -b feature/x feature-x

# git worktree list
#   /Users/you/code/app/.bare       (bare)
#   /Users/you/code/app/feature-x   ad7da80 [feature/x]
#   /Users/you/code/app/main        ad7da80 [main]