Isolated Development with Worktrees

Working Code

Use claude -w to work in an isolated worktree:

cd my-project
claude -w

Claude Code automatically creates a separate git worktree and works inside it. Your main working directory's code remains completely unaffected.

> Refactor the authentication system in this project from JWT to session-based.
> This is experimental, so feel free to make bold changes.

When the experiment is done:

• If you like the result, merge the changes into the main branch.
• If you don't, just delete the worktree. Your main code stays clean.

Try It Yourself

Use multiple terminals to work with worktrees simultaneously:

Terminal 1 — main work:

cd my-project
claude
> Implement the user list API

Terminal 2 — isolated experiment:

cd my-project
claude -w
> Completely redesign the DB schema. Denormalize to optimize read performance.

Terminal 1 proceeds safely while Terminal 2's bold experiments happen in an isolated environment.

"Why?" — Experiments Need a Safety Net

The most dangerous moment in development is when you think "what if I try this?" Large refactorings, architecture changes, trying new libraries — doing these directly on the main code makes them hard to undo.

Advantages of Worktrees

| Approach | Problem | Worktree | | ------------------ | ---------------------------- | ------------------------------------- | | Experiment on main | Risk of code contamination | Work in an isolated copy | | git stash | Switching context is tedious | Work on multiple tasks simultaneously | | New branch | File system is shared | Physically separate directories |

Teleport: Moving Between Local and Web

Teleport transfers a Claude Code session from the terminal to the web (claude.ai/code), or vice versa:

> /teleport

Your local session's context is sent to the web. You can leave your desktop and continue working in the browser.

The reverse direction:

claude --teleport

This brings a web session to your local terminal.

Use cases:

• Continue work started at the office (terminal) from home (web browser)
• Quickly check something on mobile via web, then do serious work on desktop

Parallel Development Pattern

Terminal 1: claude        → Main feature work (stable)
Terminal 2: claude -w     → Experimental refactoring (isolated)
Terminal 3: claude -w     → Performance optimization attempt (isolated)

Each worktree has independent git state, so you can work simultaneously without conflicts.

Deep Dive