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Display all worktrees in the current repository with their locations, branches, and commit information.

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Syntax

repo wt list
# or
repo wt ls

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Arguments

This command takes no arguments.

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Behavior

The list command displays comprehensive information about all worktrees:

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1. Worktree Discovery

  • Locates the repository root using resolve_repo_root
  • Accesses the bare repository at .bare/
  • Queries Git for all registered worktrees
Source: functions/worktree.zsh:61-65

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2. Information Displayed

For each worktree, Git provides:
  • Worktree path: Full filesystem path to the worktree directory
  • Branch name: The currently checked out branch
  • Commit hash: Short hash of the current HEAD commit
  • Commit message: First line of the commit message

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3. Bare Repository Entry

The output includes the bare repository itself (.bare/):
  • Listed as (bare) instead of a branch name
  • Not typically used for direct work
  • Can be ignored in most workflows

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Output Format

Git’s worktree list displays in this format: 
/path/to/repo/.bare       (bare)
/path/to/repo/main        abc1234 [main] Latest commit message
/path/to/repo/feature-a   def5678 [feature-a] Add new feature
/path/to/repo/fix-bug     ghi9012 [fix-bug] Fix critical bug
Each line contains:
  1. Absolute path to worktree
  2. Commit hash (7 characters)
  3. Branch name in brackets
  4. Commit message (first line)

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Examples

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List All Worktrees

repo wt list

# Output:
# /Users/dev/my-repo/.bare           (bare)
# /Users/dev/my-repo/main            a1b2c3d [main] Update documentation
# /Users/dev/my-repo/feature-auth    e4f5g6h [feature-auth] Implement OAuth
# /Users/dev/my-repo/fix-validation  i7j8k9l [fix-validation] Fix form validation

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Using Short Alias

# 'ls' is an alias for 'list'
repo wt ls

# Same output as 'repo wt list'
Source: functions/worktree.zsh:7

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Check Before Adding

# Check if a worktree already exists
repo wt list | grep feature-x

# If no output, the worktree doesn't exist
repo wt add feature-x

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Count Worktrees

# Count all worktrees (excluding bare repo)
repo wt list | grep -v '(bare)' | wc -l

# Output: 3

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Error Cases

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Repository Root Not Found

# Running outside a repository
repo wt list

# Output:
# Error: Not in a repo-managed repository
The command must be run from within a repo-managed repository. Source: functions/worktree.zsh:62-63

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No Worktrees Exist

If only the bare repository exists (no worktrees created yet): 
repo wt list

# Output:
# /Users/dev/my-repo/.bare  (bare)
This is normal for newly cloned repositories. Use repo wt add to create worktrees.

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Tips and Best Practices

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Quick Status Check

Use list to get an overview of all active work: 
repo wt list

# Quickly see:
# - Which branches have worktrees
# - What commits each worktree is on
# - Where each worktree is located

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Integration with Other Commands

Combine with grep to find specific worktrees: 
# Find all feature branches
repo wt list | grep 'feature-'

# Find a specific worktree
repo wt list | grep 'bugfix-login'

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Identifying Default Branch

The worktree for your default branch (main/master) is typically:
  • Listed first after the bare repository
  • Has a branch name of [main] or [master]
  • Cannot be removed with repo wt rm or repo wt clean

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Detecting Stale Worktrees

Look for worktrees with:
  • Very old commit dates
  • Branches that have been merged
  • Work that is no longer relevant
Use repo wt clean to remove multiple stale worktrees at once.

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Filesystem Paths

Worktree paths shown are absolute, making it easy to:
  • Navigate directly: cd /path/from/output
  • Reference in scripts
  • Use with other tools
However, prefer using repo wt go <branch> for navigation to ensure proper hooks run.

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Bare Repository

The (bare) entry in the output:
  • Is the actual Git repository storage
  • Should not be modified directly
  • Can be safely ignored in day-to-day work
  • Is used internally by all worktree commands

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See Also

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