Every Git repository starts with a single working directory shared by all your branches. This means, when you have in-progress changes and need to switch branches — to fix a production bug or test a teammate's pull request, for example — Git blocks you until you commit or stash your work:

Stashing solves this problem but adds friction: stash everything, do your other work, then remember to pop the stash. Temporarily committing everything inside a throwaway commit that you'll undo later, is also not a very elegant solution.

Worktrees remove this friction. Instead of clearing out your working directory first before context switching to something else, worktrees allow you to spin up a clean, independent workspace leaving all your in-progress work right where it is. You're free to check out a different branch into that workspace and make code changes without disturbing what you already have going on. Swap between worktrees at any time and pick up where you left off.

Watch the full lesson

LearnGit.io's full lesson on worktrees is now available in the Utility Commands learning track along with cherry pick, stash, and tagging.

In this lesson you'll learn:

• How worktrees function behind the scenes — they're really just folders.

• The core commands — git worktree add, list, and remove.

• A real-world workflow — quickly spinning up a clean workspace to test a teammate's pull request.

• Worktree gotchas — common errors and pitfalls you may come across when using worktrees

Sign up for LearnGit.io to access the worktrees lesson and the entire library of 40+ Git lessons.