Beyond Stashing: Why Git Worktree is Your New Workflow Superpower

Ever found yourself deep in code for a new feature when suddenly your team needs an urgent bug fix on the production branch? You're faced with a familiar dilemma: stash your changes, switch branches, fix the bug, then try to seamlessly return to your previous work. This fragmented workflow is not only disruptive but can sometimes lead to lost work and confusion.

While git stash has been the go-to solution for many developers, there's a more powerful approach that could transform how you handle multiple concurrent tasks. Let me introduce you to git worktree – a feature that might just change your development workflow forever.

The Problem with Git Stash

Git stash seems like a convenient solution at first glance. Quick, easy, and built right into Git. However, those who use it regularly often encounter frustrating limitations:

1. The Stash Stack of Confusion

As stashes accumulate, they become increasingly difficult to manage. Which stash contains those UI changes from last Tuesday? What happens when you have multiple stashes with similar messages? The git stash list command might show something like:

$ git stash list
stash@{0}: On feature-x: Second stash
stash@{1}: On feature-x: First stash

But determining which stash contains specific changes becomes a guessing game.

2. Lost in Translation (and Restoration)

Applying stashes can be error-prone, especially when dealing with specific stashes:

$ git stash apply stash@{1}
# Wait, did it work? Which changes were applied?

Moreover, using advanced stash options like --all can lead to unexpected behavior. Consider this real-world scenario:

$ git stash push --all  # Stashes untracked AND ignored files
$ git stash pop         # Error: could not restore untracked files from stash

Now you're stuck with some changes back and others still in the stash – a debugging nightmare.

3. The Context Switch Tax

Each time you stash changes, switch branches, and then return, you're forcing your brain to reload the mental context of what you were working on. This cognitive overhead adds up, reducing your overall productivity.

Enter Git Worktree: The Better Alternative

Git worktree, introduced in Git 2.5, allows you to check out multiple branches simultaneously in separate directories, all linked to the same repository. Think of it as having multiple workspaces that all share the same Git history.

How Git Worktree Works

The concept is beautifully simple. Instead of stashing changes to switch contexts, you create a separate working directory for each task:

# From your main repository folder
$ git worktree add ../project-hotfix hotfix-branch

This creates a new directory called "project-hotfix" with the "hotfix-branch" checked out, allowing you to work on both branches simultaneously without any stashing required.

Why Worktree Trumps Stashing: Practical Benefits

1. True Parallel Development

With worktrees, you can literally have multiple branches open at the same time – even in different editor windows. Need to compare how your feature looks against the main branch? No problem! You can run both versions side by side.

2. Shared Git Infrastructure

Unlike having multiple clones of the same repository (another common workaround), worktrees share the same .git directory. This means:

• Less disk space used
• Shared object database and history
• Shared configuration
• No need to push/pull between local clones

3. Clean Mental Separation

Each worktree represents a dedicated workspace for a specific task. This separation helps maintain focus and reduces the mental overhead of context switching.

Getting Started with Git Worktree: A Step-by-Step Guide

Prerequisites

• Git version 2.5 or newer
• Basic familiarity with Git branching

Basic Workflow

Step 1: Create a new worktree for a specific branch

# Syntax: git worktree add
$ git worktree add ../project-feature feature-branch

This creates a new directory with the specified branch checked out.

Step 2: Work in either directory as needed

You can now freely switch between directories, working on different branches without stashing.

# Work on your main branch
$ cd original-project
# Make some changes, commit

# Work on your feature branch
$ cd ../project-feature
# Make some changes, commit

Step 3: List your active worktrees

$ git worktree list
/home/dev/original-project    abcd123 [main]
/home/dev/project-feature     efgh456 [feature-branch]

Step 4: Clean up when finished

When you're done with a particular worktree, you can remove it:

$ git worktree remove ../project-feature
# OR clean up any worktrees with deleted directories
$ git worktree prune

Real-World Scenario: The Bug Fix Interruption

Let's see how this works in practice. You're developing a new feature when an urgent bug fix is needed:

# You're working on a feature in your main directory
# Urgent bug fix needed on production!

# Create a worktree for the hotfix
$ git worktree add ../hotfix-workspace hotfix-branch

# Navigate to the hotfix directory
$ cd ../hotfix-workspace

# Fix the bug, commit and push
$ git commit -am "Fix critical production issue"
$ git push

# Return to your feature work without missing a beat
$ cd ../original-project
# Continue where you left off, no stashing required!

Best Practices for Git Worktree

1. Use a consistent naming convention for your worktree directories
2. Keep worktrees organized in a parent directory
3. Regularly prune unused worktrees to avoid clutter
4. Consider IDE integration for seamless switching between worktrees
5. Use worktrees for long-running parallel tasks rather than quick context switches

When to Stick with Stash

While worktrees are powerful, stashing still has its place for:

• Very quick, temporary changes
• Situations where disk space is extremely limited
• Simple checkpoints that don't require a full context switch

Conclusion

Git worktree represents a paradigm shift in how developers can manage multiple concurrent tasks. By eliminating the need to stash and unstash changes, it creates a more natural, flexible workflow that matches how we actually work – on multiple things at once.

Next time you reach for git stash, consider whether a worktree might provide a cleaner, more efficient solution. Your future self will thank you as you enjoy reduced context switching, clearer organization, and a more productive development experience.

"The best tool is the one that gets out of your way and lets you focus on the task at hand, not managing the tool itself."

References

• Git Worktree Documentation
• Exploring the Benefits of Git Worktree
• Use git worktree add and never switch branches again
• Git Worktree: A better alternative to Git Stash

Share Your Experience

Have you tried using git worktree in your development workflow? I'd love to hear about your experiences, tips, or challenges. Please share this article with your team and let me know your thoughts, hit the contact button below to get in touch!