Worktree isolation means each AI agent gets its own copy of your code, on its own branch, in its own folder. They can all work at the same time without stepping on each other.
the problem
You ask Agent A to rewrite the login page. You ask Agent B to add a signup flow. Both agents need to edit the same files. If they're working in the same folder, Agent B saves its version of auth.ts and overwrites Agent A's changes. Agent A doesn't even know it happened.
This is why running multiple agents in the same directory is risky. It works sometimes, but eventually something gets overwritten and you lose work.
the fix
Give each agent its own git worktree. That's a separate folder with a separate branch. Agent A works in one worktree, Agent B works in another. Both can edit auth.ts at the same time because they're editing different copies.
When you create a new pane in Pane, it creates the worktree, sets up the branch, copies your .env and node_modules, and starts the agent. When you archive the pane, it cleans up the worktree. You never run git worktree add yourself.
Each agent gets its own folder with its own branch and its own copy of the files. They share the same git history, but their file changes are completely separate. One agent can't accidentally overwrite another agent's work.
Files, branches, uncommitted changes, and shell state. Agent A editing auth.ts doesn't affect Agent B's copy of auth.ts. They're in separate folders on separate branches.
No. It's file-level isolation through separate directories and branches. Agents still run with your shell permissions. If an agent wanted to, it could read another pane's files by path. But in practice, agents stay in their working directory.
Yes. When Pane creates a new worktree, it copies your .env, node_modules, and other important directories so your agent can start working immediately without reinstalling dependencies.
Nothing bad. They're editing different copies of that file in different worktrees. When you merge their branches, git handles it like any other merge. If there's a conflict, you resolve it the normal way.
Yes. Toggle 'Use Worktrees' off in the New Pane dialog. The agent runs in your main working tree. This is fine for quick one-off tasks where isolation doesn't matter.
Windows SmartScreen warningDirect downloads can show a SmartScreen warning while Pane is unsigned. Pane is fully open source, so you can audit the code and build from source yourself.1. Click More info2. Click Run anyway3. Continue the installerThe PowerShell install downloads the official release directly and avoids most browser download friction.npm global install
