Skip to main content
p0 creates a separate git worktree for each session, ensuring that AI-generated changes never touch your working directory. This isolation protects your main branch and lets you experiment freely.

​
How worktrees work

When you start a new p0 session in worktree mode (the default):
  1. Session starts - p0 creates a new git branch and worktree
  2. Worktree location - The worktree is stored at ~/.purple-code/worktrees/{workspaceName}-wt-{sessionId}/
  3. Symlinks created - Configuration directories (purple/, .claude/, .mcp.json) are symlinked from your workspace
  4. AI works isolated - p0 makes all changes in the worktree while your main branch stays clean
  5. Review and merge - When finished, you review the diff and merge or discard the changes
This means you can continue working in your IDE on your main branch while p0 works in parallel on a separate branch.

​
Branch naming

Worktree branches follow a consistent naming pattern:
  • Format: {workspaceName}-wt-{hex}
  • Example: my-app-wt-a3f2
  • Alternative: {adjective}-{animal}-{hex} (e.g., swift-panda-7b3e)
These branch names make it easy to identify which session created which worktree.

​
Multi-repo worktrees

For workspaces containing multiple git repositories, p0 creates a worktree for each repo: 
~/.purple-code/worktrees/{workspace}-wt-{session}/
├── repo-a/           # Worktree for workspace/repo-a
├── repo-b/           # Worktree for workspace/repo-b
├── purple/           # Symlink to workspace/purple/
├── .claude/          # Symlink to workspace/.claude/
└── .workspace-root   # Marker file
This multi-repo structure preserves the workspace layout while isolating changes across all repositories. The symlinked directories ensure that:
  • Purple configuration is shared across all repos
  • Claude settings and context are consistent
  • MCP tools remain accessible

​
Merging and discarding

When your session is complete, you have two options: Merge the changes:
  1. Review the diff in p0’s session interface
  2. Approve the changes
  3. p0 merges the worktree branch into your target branch
  4. The worktree can be removed after merging
Discard the changes:
  1. Close the session without merging
  2. Delete the worktree branch
  3. The worktree directory can be cleaned up
This workflow gives you complete control over what changes make it into your codebase.

​
Local mode

While worktree mode is recommended and set as the default, you can also configure p0 to work directly in your project directory using local mode. In local mode, changes are made directly to your working directory without worktree isolation.To use local mode, change the work mode setting from “worktree” to “local” in your session configuration.
Worktree isolation means you can keep working in your IDE while p0 makes changes in a separate branch. Your editor won’t show file changes or trigger rebuilds until you choose to merge.