vibe scratch
The scratch command creates a Git Worktree with an auto-generated scratch/<timestamp> branch name. It is the same as vibe start but without the friction of choosing a name upfront — useful for “just trying something.”
vibe scratch [options]Options
Section titled “Options”vibe scratch accepts the same options as vibe start, except for --claude-code-worktree-hook.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--reuse | Use an existing branch (rarely meaningful) |
--base <ref> | Base branch/commit for the new branch |
--track | Set upstream tracking when using --base |
--no-hooks | Skip pre-start and post-start hooks |
--no-copy | Skip file and directory copying |
-n, --dry-run | Preview operations without executing |
-V, --verbose | Show detailed output |
-q, --quiet | Suppress non-essential output |
Examples
Section titled “Examples”# Create a scratch worktreevibe scratch
# Create from a specific base branchvibe scratch --base develop
# Quick scratch without hooksvibe scratch --no-hooksOutput:
$ vibe scratchCreated worktree: scratch/20260427-143052Promote with: vibe rename <new-name>Behavior
Section titled “Behavior”Branch naming
Section titled “Branch naming”The generated branch name is scratch/<YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS> in local time. The format is:
- Sortable: newest worktrees rank highest in
vibe list - Predictable: associates a worktree with the time you started it
- Collision-free: if the same second is hit twice (rare in practice),
-2,-3, … are appended
Same workflow as vibe start
Section titled “Same workflow as vibe start”Once the name is generated, vibe scratch runs the exact same flow as vibe start:
- Pre-start hooks in origin repository
- Worktree creation
- File copying
- Post-start hooks in new worktree
- Directory change to the new worktree
After success, vibe prints a hint pointing at vibe rename so you can promote the scratch to a real name once your work crystallizes.
When to promote
Section titled “When to promote”If the scratch produces something worth keeping, run vibe rename <name> from inside the worktree:
$ cd /path/to/scratch-20260427-143052$ vibe rename my-featureRenamed scratch/20260427-143052 -> my-featureCleaning up
Section titled “Cleaning up”Use vibe clean to remove a scratch you no longer need. There is no special treatment for scratches — they behave like any other worktree.