The Hook

**TL;DR:** If your development workflow involves `git stash` more than once a week, you need more worktrees. Git-Worktree-Manager makes worktrees as easy to manage as branches — automated mapping, one-command teardown, and a visual overview of every worktree state so you never lose track of what you were working on in each one.

Here's the scenario: you're on a feature branch, mid-implementation, and a hotfix needs to go out in the next two hours. You could `git stash`. But then you need to remember what was stashed, re-apply it cleanly after the hotfix, and deal with the inevitable conflicts. Or you could use a worktree: spin up a new worktree for the hotfix, stay exactly where you are in your feature branch, and merge the hotfix back without touching your work-in-progress state. Most developers don't do this because managing worktrees manually is a pain. Git-Worktree-Manager fixes that.

The 10-Second Pitch

• **Automated worktree provisioning** — One command to create a worktree mapped to a branch
• **Worktree registry** — Central view of all active worktrees, their branches, and their states
• **Branch-to-worktree mapping** — Automatically routes `git checkout feature/X` to the right worktree
• **Stale worktree detection** — Finds worktrees whose branches have been merged and deleted
• **One-command cleanup** — Removes worktrees and their directories with a single command
• **Conflict visualization** — Shows which worktrees have uncommitted changes that need attention

Setup Directions

Step 1 — Initialize the Worktree Registry

```bash

git worktree-manager init --repo ./my-project

Creates .git/worktrees.json — your worktree registry

```

Step 2 — Create a Worktree for a Feature Branch

```bash

git worktree-manager create feature/payments-v2 \

--from main \

--directory ./worktrees/payments-v2

```

Step 3 — List All Active Worktrees

```bash

git worktree-manager list

REPO: ./my-project

+ main /my-project (HEAD at abc123)

feature/payments-v2 ./worktrees/payments-v2 (HEAD at def456)

hotfix/urgent-fix ./worktrees/hotfix (HEAD at ghi789)

```

Step 4 — Audit Worktree State via Claude-Code

```prompt

Use git-worktree-manager to audit our project's worktree state. Identify any stale worktrees (merged branches), highlight worktrees with uncommitted changes older than 48 hours, and propose a cleanup plan. Execute the cleanup only after I approve the plan.

```

Step 5 — Clean Up All Stale Worktrees

```bash

git worktree-manager prune --confirm

```

Pros / Cons

| Pros | Cons |

|---|---|

| Eliminates git stash entirely for most workflows | Worktrees share the same .git directory — high-frequency branch ops on one can affect others |

| True parallel development without losing context | Filesystem overhead — not all editors handle 5+ repo roots gracefully |

| Stale worktree detection prevents directory clutter | Requires discipline to keep registry up to date |

| Branch-to-worktree auto-mapping is seamless | On Windows, path length limits can cause issues |

| One-command teardown reduces cleanup friction | Rebase and filter-branch have restrictions across worktrees |

Verdict

Git worktrees are the single most underutilized feature in the Git toolchain. They don't get used because managing them manually is annoying. Git-Worktree-Manager removes the management overhead entirely. Once you've worked with a properly maintained worktree registry, going back to `git stash` feels like going back to using a flip phone.

Rating: Essential for any developer working on more than one branch at a time.