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Agent skill

Workspace Isolation

by NoobyGains in NoobyGains/godmode

A skill your agent uses when starting feature work that needs isolation from the current workspace or before executing implementation plans - creates isolated git worktrees with smart directory…

MITAuto-check passedAgent Workflows

Install Workspace Isolation

skills CLI
$ npx skills add NoobyGains/godmode --skill workspace-isolation -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install NoobyGains/godmode workspace-isolation --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/NoobyGains/godmode.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/skills/workspace-isolation .claude/skills/workspace-isolation && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
workspace-isolation
GitHub stars
107
Token cost
~1.7k tokens
SKILL.md length
574 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
34
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

A skill your agent uses when starting feature work that needs isolation from the current workspace or before executing implementation plans - creates isolated git worktrees with smart directory…

  • Works in 8 steps: Check Existing Directories → Check CLAUDE.md → Ask User → …
  • Starting feature work that needs isolation from the current workspace
  • SKILL.md covers Overview, The Prime Directive, When to Use and Cognitive Traps, plus 8 more sections
  • Calls git, npm and cargo

What it does

Workspace Isolation is an agent skill from NoobyGains/godmode. Use when starting feature work that needs isolation from the current workspace or before executing implementation plans - creates isolated git worktrees with smart directory selection and safety verification

Its SKILL.md is about 1.7k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Agent Workflows, covering Git worktrees and Planning. The repository describes itself as: The AI development framework that thinks before it builds. 36 composable skills for Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, and OpenCode. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Starting feature work that needs isolation from the current workspace
  • Before executing implementation plans - creates isolated git worktrees with smart directory selection and safety verification

Example prompts

  • “/workspace-isolation”

Requirements

  • Python 3
  • Node.js

Workflow steps

8 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Check Existing Directories
  2. Check CLAUDE.md
  3. Ask User
  4. Detect Project Name
  5. Create Worktree
  6. Run Project Setup
  7. Verify Clean Baseline
  8. Report Location

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 441103a. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • git
    • npm
    • cargo
    • pytest
    • go

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md. Its commands use git and npm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Workspace Isolation loads about 1.7k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 57 tokens; SKILL.md has 574 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~57
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.7k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from NoobyGains/godmode at commit 441103a, republished under its MIT licence (© NoobyGains). 574 words, ~1,705 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/workspace-isolation/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
workspace-isolation
description
Use when starting feature work that needs isolation from the current workspace or before executing implementation plans - creates isolated git worktrees with smart directory selection and safety verification

Workspace Isolation

Overview

Git worktrees create isolated workspaces sharing the same repository, enabling work on multiple branches simultaneously without switching.

Core principle: Systematic directory selection + safety verification = reliable isolation.

Announce at start: "I'm applying the workspace-isolation skill to set up an isolated workspace."

The Prime Directive

NO FEATURE WORK ON THE MAIN BRANCH

No exceptions. No workarounds. No shortcuts.

When to Use

Required for:

  • Feature development of any size
  • Bug fixes requiring more than a single-line change
  • Refactoring work
  • Any task from a development plan (delegated or otherwise)
  • Experimental or exploratory implementation

Not required for:

  • Single-line hotfixes on main
  • Documentation-only changes
  • Configuration file updates (e.g., .gitignore, CLAUDE.md)
  • Reading or investigating code without making changes

Cognitive Traps

RationalizationWhat Is Actually True
"It's a small feature, I'll just work on main"Small features grow. Worktrees cost seconds, broken main costs hours.
"Setting up a worktree takes too long"Worktree creation is faster than untangling work mixed into main.
"I'll create a branch later when it's ready"Working on main means every mistake is on main. Branch first.
"The worktree setup failed, I'll skip it"Fix the setup issue. Do not proceed on main as a workaround.
"I'm just prototyping, it doesn't matter"Prototypes on main become accidental commits. Isolate always.

Directory Selection Process

Follow this priority order:

1. Check Existing Directories
bash
# Check in priority order
ls -d .worktrees 2>/dev/null     # Preferred (hidden)
ls -d worktrees 2>/dev/null      # Alternative

If found: Use that directory. If both exist, .worktrees takes precedence.

2. Check CLAUDE.md
bash
grep -i "worktree.*director" CLAUDE.md 2>/dev/null

If preference is specified: Use it without asking.

3. Ask User

If no directory exists and no CLAUDE.md preference:

No worktree directory found. Where should I create worktrees?

1. .worktrees/ (project-local, hidden)
2. ~/.config/godmode/worktrees/<project-name>/ (global location)

Which do you prefer?

Safety Verification

For Project-Local Directories (.worktrees or worktrees)

MUST verify the directory is ignored before creating the worktree:

bash
# Check if directory is ignored (respects local, global, and system gitignore)
git check-ignore -q .worktrees 2>/dev/null || git check-ignore -q worktrees 2>/dev/null

If NOT ignored:

Fix it immediately:

  1. Add the appropriate line to .gitignore
  2. Commit the change
  3. Proceed with worktree creation

Why critical: Prevents accidentally committing worktree contents to the repository.

For Global Directory (~/.config/godmode/worktrees)

No .gitignore verification needed -- outside the project entirely.

Creation Steps

1. Detect Project Name
bash
project=$(basename "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel)")
2. Create Worktree
bash
# Determine full path
case $LOCATION in
  .worktrees|worktrees)
    path="$LOCATION/$BRANCH_NAME"
    ;;
  ~/.config/godmode/worktrees/*)
    path="~/.config/godmode/worktrees/$project/$BRANCH_NAME"
    ;;
esac

# Create worktree with new branch
git worktree add "$path" -b "$BRANCH_NAME"
cd "$path"
3. Run Project Setup

Auto-detect and run the appropriate setup:

bash
# Node.js
if [ -f package.json ]; then npm install; fi

# Rust
if [ -f Cargo.toml ]; then cargo build; fi

# Python
if [ -f requirements.txt ]; then pip install -r requirements.txt; fi
if [ -f pyproject.toml ]; then poetry install; fi

# Go
if [ -f go.mod ]; then go mod download; fi
Show full SKILL.md (240 more words)Show less
4. Verify Clean Baseline

Run tests to ensure the worktree starts clean:

bash
# Examples - use the project-appropriate command
npm test
cargo test
pytest
go test ./...

If tests fail: Report failures, ask whether to proceed or investigate.

If tests pass: Report ready.

5. Report Location
Worktree ready at <full-path>
Tests passing (<N> tests, 0 failures)
Ready to implement <feature-name>

Quick Reference

SituationAction
.worktrees/ existsUse it (verify ignored)
worktrees/ existsUse it (verify ignored)
Both existUse .worktrees/
Neither existsCheck CLAUDE.md -> Ask user
Directory not ignoredAdd to .gitignore + commit
Tests fail during baselineReport failures + ask
No package.json/Cargo.tomlSkip dependency install

Common Mistakes

Skipping ignore verification
  • Problem: Worktree contents get tracked, pollute git status
  • Fix: Always use git check-ignore before creating a project-local worktree
Assuming directory location
  • Problem: Creates inconsistency, violates project conventions
  • Fix: Follow priority: existing > CLAUDE.md > ask
Proceeding with failing tests
  • Problem: Cannot distinguish new defects from pre-existing issues
  • Fix: Report failures, get explicit permission to proceed
Hardcoding setup commands
  • Problem: Breaks on projects using different tooling
  • Fix: Auto-detect from project files (package.json, etc.)

Example Workflow

You: I'm applying the workspace-isolation skill to set up an isolated workspace.

[Check .worktrees/ - exists]
[Verify ignored - git check-ignore confirms .worktrees/ is ignored]
[Create worktree: git worktree add .worktrees/auth -b feature/auth]
[Run npm install]
[Run npm test - 47 passing]

Worktree ready at /home/user/myproject/.worktrees/auth
Tests passing (47 tests, 0 failures)
Ready to implement auth feature

Guardrails

Never:

  • Create a worktree without verifying it is ignored (project-local)
  • Skip baseline test verification
  • Proceed with failing tests without asking
  • Assume directory location when ambiguous
  • Skip CLAUDE.md check

Always:

  • Follow directory priority: existing > CLAUDE.md > ask
  • Verify directory is ignored for project-local
  • Auto-detect and run project setup
  • Verify clean test baseline

Connections

Called by:

  • delegated-execution - REQUIRED before executing any tasks
  • task-runner - REQUIRED before executing any tasks
  • task-planning - Plan assumes worktree is active
  • Any skill needing isolated workspace

Pairs with:

  • merge-protocol - REQUIRED for cleanup after work is complete

© NoobyGains, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in skills/workspace-isolation of NoobyGains/godmode.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 441103a

Compare with similar skills

Workspace Isolation next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Workspace Isolation compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Workspace Isolation this skillNoobyGains/godmode107—~1.7kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Vibe ImplementidiotLeoLYJ/Daliu-Awesome-Skills140—~2.7kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Workflow Masterycodewithmukesh/dotnet-claude-kit755—~3.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Workflow MasteryResgrid/Core229—~2.4kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Workflow MasteryResgrid/Core229—~2.4kAutomated safety check: PassApache-2.0
Worktree LifecycleMadAppGang/claude-code285—~3.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Categories

Questions about Workspace Isolation

What does Workspace Isolation do?

A skill your agent uses when starting feature work that needs isolation from the current workspace or before executing implementation plans - creates isolated git worktrees with smart directory…. Workspace Isolation is an agent skill from NoobyGains/godmode.

When should I use Workspace Isolation?

Workspace Isolation fits situations like: starting feature work that needs isolation from the current workspace; before executing implementation plans - creates isolated git worktrees with smart directory selection and safety verification.

How do I install Workspace Isolation in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add NoobyGains/godmode --skill workspace-isolation -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/workspace-isolation in NoobyGains/godmode) into .claude/skills/workspace-isolation in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Workspace Isolation in Codex?

Run `npx skills add NoobyGains/godmode --skill workspace-isolation -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (skills/workspace-isolation in NoobyGains/godmode) into .agents/skills/workspace-isolation in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Workspace Isolation in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add NoobyGains/godmode --skill workspace-isolation -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/workspace-isolation, .gemini/skills/workspace-isolation, .github/skills/workspace-isolation and .opencode/skills/workspace-isolation in your project.

What does Workspace Isolation need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Workspace Isolation needs the command-line tools its instructions call (git, npm, cargo, pytest and go). Our summary lists: Python 3; Node.js.

Does Workspace Isolation access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Its commands use git and npm, which can reach the network depending on how they are called. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Workspace Isolation safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Workspace Isolation use?

Workspace Isolation is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Workspace Isolation use?

About 1.7k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 6.8k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Workspace Isolation?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Workspace Isolation: Vibe Implement (idiotLeoLYJ/Daliu-Awesome-Skills, 140 stars), Workflow Mastery (codewithmukesh/dotnet-claude-kit, 755 stars), Workflow Mastery (Resgrid/Core, 229 stars) and Workflow Mastery (Resgrid/Core, 229 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Workspace Isolation?

NoobyGains (a GitHub user) maintains it in NoobyGains/godmode, which has 107 GitHub stars. The repository holds 34 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on March 9, 2026.

Source: NoobyGains/godmode on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.