> AI agents: this is one page from PostHog's docs. Full index of Markdown docs for LLMs: https://posthog.com/llms.txt

# PostHog Desktop worktrees

Worktrees give agents a local, isolated checkout inside PostHog Desktop. Use them when you want an agent to work on a separate branch without touching your current working directory.

## Getting started

To create a worktree:

1.  Open the mode selector.
2.  Choose **Worktree**.
3.  Enter your prompt.
4.  Submit the task.

![Task mode selector](https://res.cloudinary.com/dmukukwp6/image/upload/Screenshot_2026_04_24_at_10_04_03_AM_96628e61b1.png)

For simple development environments, this is typically all you'll need.

## Environment setup

For more complex projects, you may need extra configuration. PostHog Desktop supports two files for this:

| File | Use it to |
| --- | --- |
| `.worktreeinclude` | Copy required ignored files into each worktree |
| `.worktreelink` | Symlink required ignored files or directories into each worktree |

For setup scripts that run when a worktree is created (installing dependencies, running migrations, and so on), see [Local environments](/docs/posthog-desktop/environments.md#local-environments).

### `.worktreeinclude`

Worktrees create fresh checkouts of your git repo, so they do not include untracked files like `.env`.

To automatically copy required files, add them to a `.worktreeinclude` file at the root of your project.

Example:

Terminal

```bash
# .worktreeinclude

.env
.env.local
```

This file uses `.gitignore` syntax. Only matching files that are also ignored by git are copied.

### `.worktreelink`

Some files may be required for your environment but are too heavy to copy, such as a `.flox` directory.

Add these files or directories to `.worktreelink`. PostHog Desktop creates symlinks for them when a new worktree is created.

Example:

Terminal

```bash
# .worktreelink

.flox
```

This file also uses `.gitignore` syntax. It only creates links to files that are ignored by git.

### Still have questions?

Ask PostHog AI

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