Git Worktree for Rails

Create isolated git worktrees for feature development with automatic Rails credential symlinking.

When to Use

• Starting work on a new feature that needs isolation
• Working on multiple features simultaneously
• Need a clean environment without stashing changes

Worktree Location

Worktrees are created in a sibling directory to keep the project root clean:

parent/
  project/              # main repo
  project-worktrees/    # worktree container
    25-01-22-feature/   # individual worktree

The container directory is ../<project-name>-worktrees/ relative to the project root.

Branch Naming Convention

Format: YY-MM-DD-feature-description

Examples:

• 25-01-22-add-password-reset
• 25-01-22-fix-api-timeout
• 25-01-22-refactor-auth-module

Workflow

Step 1: Get Feature Name

If no feature name provided, ask:

What feature are you working on? (e.g., "add password reset", "fix checkout bug")

Step 2: Create Worktree

# Get project info
PROJECT_ROOT=$(pwd)
PROJECT_NAME=$(basename "$PROJECT_ROOT")
WORKTREES_DIR="../${PROJECT_NAME}-worktrees"

# Format branch name: YY-MM-DD-feature-description
DATE=$(date +%y-%m-%d)
BRANCH_NAME="${DATE}-<feature-slug>"

# Create worktrees directory if needed
mkdir -p "$WORKTREES_DIR"

# Create worktree with new branch
git worktree add "$WORKTREES_DIR/$BRANCH_NAME" -b "$BRANCH_NAME"

Step 3: Symlink Rails Credentials

Rails credentials must be symlinked so the worktree can decrypt secrets:

WORKTREE_PATH="$WORKTREES_DIR/$BRANCH_NAME"

# master.key
ln -sf "$PROJECT_ROOT/config/master.key" "$WORKTREE_PATH/config/master.key"

# development.key (if exists)
if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT/config/credentials/development.key" ]; then
  mkdir -p "$WORKTREE_PATH/config/credentials"
  ln -sf "$PROJECT_ROOT/config/credentials/development.key" "$WORKTREE_PATH/config/credentials/development.key"
fi

# test.key (if exists)
if [ -f "$PROJECT_ROOT/config/credentials/test.key" ]; then
  mkdir -p "$WORKTREE_PATH/config/credentials"
  ln -sf "$PROJECT_ROOT/config/credentials/test.key" "$WORKTREE_PATH/config/credentials/test.key"
fi

Use full absolute paths for symlinks.

Step 4: Report Success

Worktree created:
  Branch: 25-01-22-add-password-reset
  Location: ../project-worktrees/25-01-22-add-password-reset

Rails credentials symlinked:
  - config/master.key
  - config/credentials/development.key
  - config/credentials/test.key

To start working:
  cd ../project-worktrees/25-01-22-add-password-reset

Managing Worktrees

List worktrees:

git worktree list

Remove worktree:

git worktree remove ../project-worktrees/25-01-22-feature-name

Prune stale worktrees:

git worktree prune

Example Session

User: create a worktree for adding stripe webhooks

Creating worktree...
  Project: vc-matcher-app
  Feature: adding stripe webhooks
  Branch: 25-01-22-add-stripe-webhooks

$ mkdir -p ../vc-matcher-app-worktrees
$ git worktree add ../vc-matcher-app-worktrees/25-01-22-add-stripe-webhooks -b 25-01-22-add-stripe-webhooks

Symlinking Rails credentials...
$ ln -sf /Users/avi/Development/code/project/config/master.key ../vc-matcher-app-worktrees/25-01-22-add-stripe-webhooks/config/master.key
[additional symlinks...]

Done! Worktree ready at:
  ../vc-matcher-app-worktrees/25-01-22-add-stripe-webhooks

Notes

• Always use absolute paths for credential symlinks
• The worktree shares git history with main repo
• Commits in worktree are visible from main repo
• Delete the branch separately after removing worktree if needed
• Run bundle install in new worktree if Gemfile differs