wtkill

Find and kill git worktrees from a tiny interactive TUI. Inspired by npkill.

$ npx wtkill

Zero runtime dependencies. Pure Node ESM. Requires Node 18+.

Why

git worktree is great until you've got a dozen of them scattered across ~/mux-worktrees/, .claude/worktrees/, ~/src/foo-feature-branch/, etc. Listing and pruning by hand is a pain. wtkill lists them in a TUI and lets you pick what to kill — like npkill, but for worktrees.

Install

You don't need to install — just npx:

npx wtkill            # in any git repo
npx wtkill -g         # global scan from $HOME

Or install globally:

npm i -g wtkill
wtkill --help

Usage

wtkill                    # list worktrees in the repo containing CWD
wtkill -d ~/src/myrepo    # target a specific repo
wtkill -g                 # global scan starting at $HOME
wtkill -g -d ~/src        # global scan rooted somewhere else
wtkill --json             # dump worktrees as JSON, no UI
wtkill --prune -y         # run `git worktree prune` across discovered repos
wtkill --dry-run          # interactive UI but never actually deletes

Keys

| key | action | | --- | --- | | ↑/↓ or j/k | move cursor | | Space / Del | remove worktree (git worktree remove) | | F | force-remove (git worktree remove --force, prompts) | | / | filter by path/branch (regex) | | r | refresh status of current row | | p | run git worktree prune across repos | | q / Esc / Ctrl+C | quit |

Columns

• STATUS — main (the primary worktree, can't remove), clean, dirty, lockd, prune
• SYNC — ↑n ahead / ↓n behind upstream, ✓ even, — no upstream
• AGE — relative age of HEAD (cheap, from git log -1)
• BRANCH — checked-out branch (or (detached))
• PATH — worktree path

Flags

| flag | description | | --- | --- | | -d, --directory <path> | start from <path> (a repo, or a directory tree to scan) | | -g, --global | scan a directory tree for every repo. Default root: $HOME (override with -d) | | --max-depth <n> | max scan depth in --global mode (default 8) | | --prune | run git worktree prune across discovered repos and exit | | --dry-run | interactive UI but never actually removes anything | | --json | print discovered worktrees as JSON and exit | | -y, --yes | assume yes (used with --prune) | | -h, --help | show help | | -v, --version | show version |

How global scan works

-g walks the directory tree from -d (default $HOME) looking for directories that contain a real .git directory (i.e. main repos). Worktrees themselves have a .git file and are surfaced via git worktree list on the parent repo, so they're never double-counted.

The walker skips heavy/uninteresting dirs (node_modules, Library, .cache, dist, build, etc.), caps depth (--max-depth, default 8), and ignores hidden directories other than .git itself.

Safety

• The main worktree is never offered for removal.
• Dirty or locked worktrees require F (force) and a y/n confirmation.
• --dry-run simulates removal without touching anything.
• --prune requires -y to actually run.

License

MIT