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Git Cheat Sheet · Worktrees

Check out an existing branch in a worktree

git worktree add <folder> <branch>

git worktree add <folder> <branch> checks out an existing local branch in a new folder. You stay on your branch where you are, and you can run or review the other one alongside it.

By , author of Merathon · published on

What it does

Checks out an already created local branch in a new folder, without changing branch where you are.

A use case

A colleague asks you to review their feature/export branch while you work on another: you run it alongside to compare the two.

On the command line

git worktree add ../site-export feature/export
Checks out feature/export in ../site-export.
git worktree add --track -b feature/export ../site-export origin/feature/export
Creates the local branch from the remote branch, and checks it out.
git worktree add --detach ../site-v1 v1.0
Checks out a tag or a commit, with no branch.

In Merathon

  1. Right-click the branch, in the "Local" section or the graph.
  2. Choose "Check out in a new worktree…".
  3. Confirm or change the suggested folder.

Frequently asked questions

Why "fatal: 'main' is already used by worktree"?

This branch is already checked out in another worktree, and a branch can only be in one place. git worktree list shows which one.

Can I check out a remote branch directly?

Git expects a local branch. If the name exists on only one remote, git worktree add <folder> <name> creates the local branch that tracks it; otherwise, specify it with --track -b.

See also