Claude Code /branch Command for Session Decision Trees
Summary¶
The /branch command (formerly /fork) creates independent copies of a Claude Code session at decision points, allowing parallel exploration of different architectural approaches. Renamed in the March 2026 update with a fix for shared plan files between branches.
Key Details¶
- /branch copies full conversation history into a new independent session; original stays untouched
- 45% faster loading and ~100-150MB less peak memory for fork-heavy sessions (Anthropic optimization)
- No /merge command yet — winning branch becomes new main session, or use /compact to carry insights back
- Works in terminal, VSCode, and Claude Desktop; branches grouped under parent in --resume picker
- Best for genuine architectural forks (20+ messages deep); not worth it for simple tasks or early sessions
Why Rolf Thinks This Matters¶
Our toolkit uses git worktrees heavily for filesystem isolation between parallel tasks. /branch adds conversation-level branching which complements this — worktrees isolate the filesystem, /branch isolates the conversation context. Together they cover both dimensions of parallel exploration.