How to fix fatal: '/path/to/worktree' already exists in Git

First, check what worktrees Git currently knows about:

git worktree list

This shows all registered worktrees with their paths and checked-out branches. Look for the path you're trying to use - if it appears here, Git already considers it an active worktree.

Example output:

/home/user/project       abc1234 [main]
/home/user/project-feat  def5678 [feature-branch]

Verify whether the target path exists on your filesystem:

ls -la /path/to/worktree

If the directory exists and you don't need it, remove it:

rm -rf /path/to/worktree

Warning: Make sure you don't have uncommitted changes in that directory before deleting it.

If the directory doesn't exist but Git still thinks it does, prune the stale references:

git worktree prune

This removes administrative files for worktrees whose directories have been deleted. Use --dry-run to preview what would be removed:

git worktree prune --dry-run

For verbose output showing what's being cleaned up:

git worktree prune -v

If the worktree exists and you want to replace it, remove it properly first:

git worktree remove /path/to/worktree

If the worktree has uncommitted changes, you'll need to force the removal:

git worktree remove --force /path/to/worktree

For a locked worktree (e.g., on a portable device), use force twice:

git worktree remove --force --force /path/to/worktree

If you're certain the path is safe to use, you can force Git to create the worktree:

git worktree add --force /path/to/worktree branch-name

This overrides the safety check that prevents using an existing path. Use this when:
- The path exists but is empty
- You've verified no important data will be lost
- Git's tracking is out of sync with the filesystem

Note: --force does NOT override the check for a branch being checked out elsewhere. For that, you need --force twice.

Environment variables can cause Git to behave unexpectedly with worktrees:

echo $GIT_DIR
echo $GIT_WORK_TREE

If either is set, unset them and try again:

unset GIT_DIR
unset GIT_WORK_TREE
git worktree add /path/to/worktree branch-name

This is especially common when running Git commands from within a git rebase -i session or custom Git hooks.

If the above steps don't work or you want a quick solution, simply use a different path:

git worktree add /path/to/worktree-2 branch-name

Or create it in a sibling directory of your main repository:

git worktree add ../my-feature feature-branch

This avoids the conflict entirely while still giving you a functional worktree.