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A lane is ADE’s name for a git worktree: an isolated branch and working copy for a single task. Each lane has its own files, branch, chat and terminal sessions, processes, diff, and PR — so several agents can work in the same repository at once without writing over each other or your main checkout.
Auto-create a git worktree from a task

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The primary lane vs. your lanes

When you open a repository, your existing checkout — the repo root — becomes the primary lane. It always exists and can’t be deleted or restacked. Agents can work in it, but it’s your real working tree, so the safer habit is to leave the primary lane alone and do agent work in fresh lanes. Everything else is a lane you create. Each new lane is its own git worktree under .ade/worktrees/, completely isolated from the primary checkout and from other lanes.
You don’t pick a “lane type” — the primary lane is just your repo root, and every other lane is a worktree. What differs is how you bring a lane into being.

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Ways to create a lane

New worktree off a branch

Branch a fresh worktree from your default branch — or any other branch. This is the default, and the safest place for agent work.

Child lane (stacked)

Branch a lane off another lane instead of main to build dependent work as a stack. ADE calls these child lanes.

Import an existing branch

Pull a branch you already have — local or remote — into a managed worktree, PR pills and all.

Attach an external worktree

Already made a git worktree outside ADE? Attach its path and ADE tracks it without ever moving or cleaning it.

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The same lanes, everywhere

Lanes sync across every surface. Start one on the desktop, continue it in the terminal, check on it from your phone.
Lanes on the desktop

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What’s isolated to a lane

A lane is more than a branch — it’s a full parallel workspace.

Code & branch

A dedicated worktree and branch. Stashes, rebases, and merges stay local to the lane.

Sessions

Chats, terminals, and CLI sessions run scoped to the lane’s worktree.

Processes & ports

Dev servers and tests get their own port range and preview, so lanes don’t fight over 3000.

Diff & PR

A clear diff, conflict risk, and a PR link — review and ship each lane on its own.

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The lane lifecycle

1

Create

Branch a worktree from your default branch, stack a child lane, import a branch, or attach an external worktree.
2

Work

Open chat, terminals, Files, or Run — all scoped to the lane.
3

Review

Inspect the diff, tests, proof, History, and conflict risk.
4

Ship

Commit, push, open a PR, merge, then archive or delete the lane.
The worktree graph
Every lane action is also available from the ade CLI and ade code:
ade lanes list --text                 # list lanes in the active project
ade lanes create "fix-checkout-flow"  # branch a new worktree lane
ade lanes delete <lane-id> --force    # tear down a merged or abandoned lane
Run ade lanes --help to see every flag.

Create lanes

Every way to start a lane, in detail.

Stack lanes

Build child-lane chains and reviewable stacks.