Lanes provides a built-in Git viewer so you can see exactly what changed in a worktree without switching to another tool. The Git integration lives inside the issue detail panel and gives you both a high-level file list and a line-by-line diff view.
Opening the Git View
When you select an issue that has an associated worktree, the detail panel includes a Git Changes subtab. Click it to see the current state of the worktree compared to the configured base branch.
Two Viewing Modes
The Git Changes subtab offers two modes, toggled by a control at the top:
Changes Mode
Shows all uncommitted and committed differences between the worktree and its base branch. This is the view you will use most often -- it answers the question "what has this worktree changed so far?"
History Mode
Shows the commit log for the worktree branch. Each commit is listed with its message, author, and timestamp. Click a commit to see the specific files it touched and their diffs.
The File List Panel
On the left side of the Git view, you see a list of all modified files. Each file entry includes:
- Status badge -- a letter indicating the type of change:
- M -- Modified
- A -- Added (new file)
- D -- Deleted
- R -- Renamed
- Line counts -- a summary showing how many lines were added (+) and removed (-), giving you a quick sense of the change size.
Files are grouped and sorted so you can scan the list and quickly identify what was touched.
Viewing Diffs
Click any file in the list to open its diff in the right-side panel. The diff viewer uses the Monaco diff editor, showing a side-by-side comparison with:
- Added lines highlighted in green.
- Removed lines highlighted in red.
- Unchanged context lines surrounding each change.
This is the same diff experience you would get in VS Code, integrated directly into Lanes.
How Diffs Relate to Worktrees
The diff comparison always runs against the configured base branch for the
project. By default, Lanes auto-detects the base branch from Git (typically
main or master). You can override this in Settings if your project uses a
different convention.
This means:
- In Changes mode, you see everything the worktree branch has done relative to the base -- both committed and uncommitted work.
- In History mode, you see only the commits that exist on the worktree branch but not on the base branch.
Switching Between Modes
Use the toggle at the top of the Git Changes subtab to switch between Changes and History. Your selection is remembered while the issue stays open, so you can flip back and forth as you work.
Viewing a Specific Commit
In History mode, click any commit in the log to see:
- The list of files that commit changed (with the same M/A/D/R badges).
- The diff for each file, scoped to just that commit.
This is useful for reviewing an agent's work step by step -- you can see what each commit did individually rather than looking at the cumulative diff.
Tips
- Use Changes mode for a "big picture" review of everything the agent has done on this issue.
- Use History mode when you want to understand the progression of changes, commit by commit.
- The Git view updates in real time as the agent makes new commits, so you can watch progress without refreshing.
- If a diff looks unexpected, double-check that the base branch is set correctly in Settings. A wrong base branch can make the diff include unrelated changes.