Work on one website, make two changes side by side — each on its own copy, without them getting in each other's way.
MAIK · SMARTgirls
Where we left off
The subagent, last time
A subagent is a helper with its own fresh memory — a separate room to think.
It does its job apart, then reports only the summary back.
You stayed the director; it did one job.
Today: its physical counterpart — a worktree gives each Claude its own copy of your files.
2 / 20
The plan for today
We'll take it slowly
1
What a worktree is — and where it comes from
A second, separate copy of your project. And why it isn't magic.
2
Why it helps — with lots of real examples
One site, two changes at once — and what it looks like in a terminal.
One line: several Claudes, each on its own copy, your original stays whole.
3 / 20
The one idea
One project, many copies — each Claude at its own desk.
A worktree is a separate copy of your files. Experiment on it freely; your original always stays whole.
4 / 20
The problem
Two changes, one folder — they collide
Say you're halfway through a new homepage, and you also want to try a different colour scheme. In the same folder, those two changes sit on top of each other — one saves over what the other just made.
You need a way to give each change its own space.
5 / 20
What is it
A second, separate copy
Nothing magical: a worktree is a second folder with your whole project — its own files and its own branch, sharing the same history as your original.
your project — main a copy — worktree
6 / 20
Where it comes from
It's a Git thing — not a Claude trick
Underneath every project sits Git: the quiet system that saves every version of your work, so you can always step back. Programmers wanted to open two versions at once — without downloading everything twice. So in 2015, Git gained worktrees.
A proven, everyday tool. Claude just operates it for you.
7 / 20
The picture
Its own desk, with its own copy.
Each Claude at its own desk, its own copy — and your original always stays whole.
8 / 20
Two kinds of "separate"
Memory vs. files
Subagent — its own memory
A separate room to think. Protects your context.
Worktree — its own copy
A separate desk with your files. Protects your project.
Straight from the docs: worktrees isolate your files; subagents coordinate the work itself.
9 / 20
Why it's smart
The power — and the catch
The power
Try two changes in parallel · your original always stays whole · throw a failed attempt away.
The catch
They're real, separate copies — don't lose track of which folder you're in.
That's the power and the catch — and as always, you stay in charge.
10 / 20
The main move
One site, two changes at once
1 your site→ 2 copies, one change each→ merge back both
11 / 20
Pairs you'd actually do
Two changes to one site — at the same time
HOMEPAGE
new headline+new colours
CONTACT
fix the form+add a map
ABOUT PAGE
new photo+rewrite the text
PRICING
a price table+an FAQ below
MOBILE
faster loading+a new menu
BRAND
a new logo+a new font
Each pair = two copies, worked on at once — then keep whichever wins.
12 / 20
And two more moments
Not just tidy pairs
A scary update
Test a big change — a new tool, a new layout — on a copy first. Breaks? The copy breaks, not your live site.
A client can't wait
Mid-redesign and a quick fix comes in? Do the fix on a separate copy, without unpicking your half-done work.
Different situations, same move: give the new thing its own copy.
13 / 20
One example, step by step
Your live site, and a bold idea
STEP 1
Make a copy
A worktree, in its own folder.
STEP 2
Build & compare
Rebuild the new design there. Your live site keeps running.
STEP 3
Keep it — or bin it
Like it? Bring it over. Don't? Throw the copy away.
You can't break anything — your real site was never touched.
14 / 20
In real life
This site runs on worktrees
>_makemodethe real, live sitemain
>_mm-claudetesting an idea one waycopy
>_mm-glmthe same idea another waycopy
One project, three desks. I compare two approaches side by side — and makemode.nl keeps humming the whole time.
15 / 20
In a terminal
What Claude actually types
# the Claude Code way — one command
$claude --worktree new-colours
a fresh, isolated copy on its own branch
# what it is underneath — plain git
$git worktree add ../new-colours -b new-colours
$git worktree list
.../makemode [main] — your real project
.../new-colours [new-colours] — the copy, its own branch
$git worktree remove ../new-colours
Claude Code has it built in: claude --worktree. Underneath it's plain git — you type neither.
16 / 20
How you make one
You just ask Claude
Make two copies of this site — one to try new colours, one to rewrite the homepage — without touching my live one.
Done — two folders, one change each. Your live site is untouched.
✓Claude makes the copies — no commands to memorize.
✓It tells you which folder is which — so you never get lost.
Prefer one command? claude --worktree new-colours does the same.
17 / 20
Over to you · a round
Which two changes…
…would you love to try on your site at the same time?
Which one have you been scared to touch?
That's exactly what a worktree is for.
No wrong answers.18 / 20
This week · pick one
Do it once — then throw it away.
Set up one worktree for a change you don't dare make on your real site. Build it — then bin it. Not perfect, just done.
"I want to try [a change] on my site without touching the live one. Set up a separate work-copy (a git worktree) for me in its own folder, tell me in plain words which folder is which, and work on the change there. My original stays untouched."
Share what you tried.19 / 20
How we do this together
Questions along the way?
Drop them in the group — no question is too small.