checkout

Git Checkout

Overview

Check out a PR, branch, or ref into an isolated worktree with relevant context.

Announce: "Using git:checkout to set up a worktree for {target}..."

When to Use

• User wants to review a PR locally
• User wants to work on a specific branch in isolation
• User provides PR URL/number or branch name
• Following git:inbox when user picks a PR

Input Formats

Accept:

• Full PR URL: https://github.com/{owner}/{repo}/pull/{number}
• Short PR: {repo}#{number} or #{number} (infer repo from cwd)
• PR number only: {number} (infer owner/repo from git remote)
• Branch name: feature/auth, main, etc.
• Ref: commit SHA, tag

Workflow

For PRs

1. Parse PR Reference

# Get owner/repo from current directory if needed
gh repo view --json owner,name -q '"\(.owner.login)/\(.name)"'

2. Fetch PR Details

gh pr view {number} --json title,body,author,state,baseRefName,headRefName,url,reviews,reviewRequests

3. Set Up Worktree

REQUIRED: Use superpowers:using-git-worktrees skill for directory selection.

# Fetch the PR branch
git fetch origin {headRefName}

# Create worktree
git worktree add .worktrees/pr-{number}-{short-desc} origin/{headRefName}

Naming: pr-{number}-{2-3-word-description} (e.g., pr-1234-add-oauth)

4. Present Context

## PR #{number} Ready for Review

**Title:** {title}
**Author:** @{author}
**Branch:** {headRefName} → {baseRefName}
**URL:** {full_url}

### Summary
{1-3 sentence summary from PR body}

### Files Changed ({count})
{Grouped by directory}

### Review Status
{Existing reviews, requested reviewers}

---

**Worktree ready at:** `{full_path}`

For Branches

1. Create Worktree

# For existing branch
git worktree add .worktrees/{branch-slug} {branch}

# For new branch
git worktree add .worktrees/{branch-slug} -b {branch}

2. Report Ready

**Worktree ready at:** `{full_path}`
**Branch:** {branch}

Quick Reference

Input	Action
PR URL/number	Fetch PR, create worktree, show PR context
Branch name	Create worktree for branch
Ref/SHA	Create worktree at that ref

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Creating worktree before fetching PR branch	Always git fetch first
Generic worktree name	Include PR number AND short description
Missing PR context	Always summarize PR and show review status

Related

• superpowers:using-git-worktrees - Handles directory selection and verification
• git:inbox - Discover PRs needing review
• code-review - Guide the actual review process