Confirming worktree before edit

Confirming Worktree Before Edit

Overview

Before modifying any file in this session, confirm whether the user wants an isolated worktree — but only once per session.

Core principle: Ask once. Record the choice. Delegate setup. Never edit before the gate when consent is still unknown.

Scope: All persistent writes to project files, including:

• Project source, configuration, and skill documents
• docs/superpowers/specs/*.md
• docs/superpowers/plans/*.md
• docs/superpowers/brainstorms/*-brainstorm.md
• docs/superpowers/brainstorms/*-plan-progress.md
• Any other writable path inside the project repository (including Cursor agent-mode drafts)

Announce at start: "I'm using the confirming-worktree-before-edit skill to confirm worktree preference before editing."

Step 0: Skip Conditions

Do NOT run this gate when any of these apply:

1. Read-only mode — Ask mode or any context where file edits are technically impossible (Write/StrReplace/ApplyPatch and equivalent tools unavailable). Skip entirely. Plan mode does not skip this gate when edits are possible.

2. Subagent dispatch — If you were dispatched as a subagent (<SUBAGENT-STOP> in using-superpowers), skip. The parent agent must run this gate before dispatching you.

3. Already in a linked worktree — Run detection (same as using-git-worktrees Step 0):

GIT_DIR=$(cd "$(git rev-parse --git-dir)" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P)
GIT_COMMON=$(cd "$(git rev-parse --git-common-dir)" 2>/dev/null && pwd -P)

# Submodule guard — if this returns a path, treat as normal repo, not worktree
git rev-parse --show-superproject-working-tree 2>/dev/null

If GIT_DIR != GIT_COMMON (and not a submodule): already isolated. Record worktree consent: asked, choice: skipped (already in worktree) and proceed to Step 4.

4. User already declared worktree preference — User rules, instructions, or an earlier message in this session explicitly state worktree preference (create one / work in place / use /worktree). Honor it. Record worktree consent: asked, choice: yes|no matching that preference. Proceed to Step 3 or Step 4 as appropriate.

5. Consent already recorded this session — If you already recorded worktree consent: asked, choice: ... in this session, skip to Step 4. Never ask twice.

Step 1: Session Gate

You are about to edit a file and none of the Step 0 skip conditions apply.

STOP. Do not edit any file yet.

Ask the user using this exact wording:

Would you like me to set up an isolated worktree? It protects your current branch from changes.

Wait for the user's answer before proceeding.

Step 2: Record Choice

Immediately after the user answers, record in your session notes:

worktree consent: asked, choice: yes

or

worktree consent: asked, choice: no

This record prevents duplicate asks for the rest of the session. Other skills (including using-git-worktrees) rely on it.

Step 3: Execute Choice

If choice is yes:

REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use superpowers-deepseek-v4:using-git-worktrees

Do not call git worktree add directly — using-git-worktrees handles native tools, paths, setup, and baseline tests.

If choice is no:

Work in the current directory. Proceed to Step 4 without creating a worktree.

Step 4: Proceed

Gate complete. Continue the calling skill's edit workflow (TDD, plan execution, spec writing, debugging fix, etc.).

Quick Reference

Situation	Action
Read-only / Ask mode (edits impossible)	Skip gate
Subagent	Skip (parent runs gate)
Already in linked worktree	Record skipped, proceed
User rules declare preference	Honor + record, no ask
Consent already recorded	Skip ask, proceed
First edit (spec/plan/source/config), none of above	Ask exact question, record, execute
User says yes	Invoke using-git-worktrees
User says no	Work in place

Common Mistakes

Editing before asking

• Problem: Jump straight to StrReplace/Write because the task seems small or "just a spec"
• Fix: Step 1 is a hard stop before any file modification

Asking twice

• Problem: User already answered; agent asks again on next edit
• Fix: Check session record from Step 0 condition 5

Creating worktree without using-git-worktrees

• Problem: Agent runs git worktree add after user says yes
• Fix: Step 3 always delegates to using-git-worktrees

Asking when already isolated

• Problem: User opened /worktree or EnterWorktree; agent still asks
• Fix: Step 0 detection + record skipped

Skipping gate for spec/plan writes

• Problem: Agent writes brainstorm decision-log or plan-progress without asking
• Fix: brainstorming and writing-plans Step 0.5 invoke this skill before first Write

Red Flags

Never:

• Edit any file before this gate when consent is not yet recorded and Step 0 skips do not apply
• Ask twice in the same session after recording choice
• Create a worktree without user consent
• Use git worktree add when a native harness worktree tool exists (using-git-worktrees owns this)
• Re-ask because the edit "feels urgent" (pressure does not bypass the gate)
• Skip because the edit is "only a spec" or "only a plan document"

Always:

• Run Step 0 skip checks first
• Use the exact consent question wording in Step 1
• Record choice immediately after asking
• Delegate worktree setup to using-git-worktrees when user accepts

Integration

Called by: session bootstrap (before using-superpowers), brainstorming (Step 0.5), writing-plans (Step 0.5), test-driven-development, subagent-driven-development, executing-plans, systematic-debugging (Phase 4), dispatching-parallel-agents, receiving-code-review, writing-skills, resume-brainstorming (abandonment edit), resume-planning (abandonment edit), and using-superpowers (ad-hoc edits).

Delegates to: superpowers-deepseek-v4:using-git-worktrees (when user accepts)