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Configuration Guide

This guide provides comprehensive documentation for configuring Maestro through .maestro.json files.

Table of Contents

Configuration Files

Maestro supports multiple configuration file locations and formats:

File Priority Order

  1. .maestro.json (project root) - Recommended
  2. .maestrorc.json (project root)
  3. maestro.config.json (project root)
  4. ~/.maestrorc (user home)
  5. ~/.maestrorc.json (user home)

Local Configuration

  • .maestro.local.json - User-specific settings that override project settings (gitignored)

Configuration Schema

worktrees

Controls where and how worktrees are created.

{
  "worktrees": {
    "path": "../maestro-{branch}",
    "directoryPrefix": "",
    "branchPrefix": ""
  }
}
Field Type Default Description
path string "../maestro-{branch}" Directory pattern for worktrees. Supports {branch} placeholder
directoryPrefix string "" Prefix added to all worktree directory names
branchPrefix string "" Default prefix for new branch names

Examples:

Place worktrees in a dedicated directory:

{
  "worktrees": {
    "path": "../workspaces/{branch}"
  }
}

Add team prefix to branches:

{
  "worktrees": {
    "branchPrefix": "team-alpha/"
  }
}

development

Development environment configuration.

{
  "development": {
    "autoSetup": true,
    "syncFiles": [".env", ".env.local"],
    "defaultEditor": "cursor"
  }
}
Field Type Default Description
autoSetup boolean true Auto-run setup commands after worktree creation
syncFiles string[] [".env", ".env.local"] Files to sync across all worktrees
defaultEditor string "cursor" Default editor: "vscode", "cursor", or "none"

Examples:

Disable auto-setup for manual control:

{
  "development": {
    "autoSetup": false
  }
}

Sync additional configuration files:

{
  "development": {
    "syncFiles": [".env", ".env.local", "config/local.json"]
  }
}

postCreate

Automation that runs after worktree creation. This is separate from hooks.afterCreate.

{
  "postCreate": {
    "copyFiles": [".env", "config/dev.json"],
    "commands": ["npm install", "npm run setup"]
  }
}
Field Type Default Description
copyFiles string[] - Files to copy from main worktree
commands string[] - Commands to execute in new worktree

Note: postCreate runs before hooks.afterCreate.

Examples:

Python project setup:

{
  "postCreate": {
    "copyFiles": [".env", "config.ini"],
    "commands": ["python -m venv venv", "pip install -r requirements.txt"]
  }
}

Monorepo setup:

{
  "postCreate": {
    "commands": ["pnpm install", "pnpm build:deps"]
  }
}

tmux

tmux integration settings.

{
  "tmux": {
    "enabled": false,
    "openIn": "window",
    "sessionNaming": "{branch}"
  }
}
Field Type Default Description
enabled boolean false Enable tmux integration by default
openIn string "window" Open in "window" or "pane"
sessionNaming string "{branch}" Session naming pattern

Examples:

Always use tmux with custom naming:

{
  "tmux": {
    "enabled": true,
    "sessionNaming": "mst-{branch}"
  }
}

claude

Claude Code integration settings.

{
  "claude": {
    "markdownMode": "shared"
  }
}
Field Type Default Description
markdownMode string "shared" "shared" (symlink to main) or "split" (independent files)

Examples:

Use independent CLAUDE.md for each worktree:

{
  "claude": {
    "markdownMode": "split"
  }
}

github

GitHub integration configuration.

{
  "github": {
    "autoFetch": true,
    "branchNaming": {
      "prTemplate": "pr-{number}",
      "issueTemplate": "issue-{number}"
    }
  }
}
Field Type Default Description
autoFetch boolean true Auto-fetch before GitHub operations
branchNaming.prTemplate string "pr-{number}" PR branch naming template
branchNaming.issueTemplate string "issue-{number}" Issue branch naming template

Examples:

Custom branch naming convention:

{
  "github": {
    "branchNaming": {
      "prTemplate": "pr/{number}-{title}",
      "issueTemplate": "issue/{number}-{title}"
    }
  }
}

ui

User interface preferences.

{
  "ui": {
    "pathDisplay": "absolute"
  }
}
Field Type Default Description
pathDisplay string "absolute" Path display: "absolute" or "relative"

Examples:

Show relative paths for cleaner output:

{
  "ui": {
    "pathDisplay": "relative"
  }
}

hooks

Lifecycle hooks for custom automation.

{
  "hooks": {
    "afterCreate": "npm install",
    "beforeDelete": "echo \"Cleaning up: $ORCHESTRA_MEMBER\""
  }
}
Field Type Default Description
afterCreate string | string[] - Commands after worktree creation
beforeDelete string - Command before worktree deletion

Environment Variables:

  • $ORCHESTRA_MEMBER - The branch name
  • $WORKTREE_PATH - Full path to the worktree

Examples:

Multiple commands after creation:

{
  "hooks": {
    "afterCreate": [
      "npm install",
      "npm run build",
      "echo 'Worktree ready!'"
    ]
  }
}

Cleanup before deletion:

{
  "hooks": {
    "beforeDelete": "npm run cleanup && git stash"
  }
}

Complete Examples

Node.js/TypeScript Project

{
  "worktrees": {
    "path": "../workspaces/{branch}"
  },
  "development": {
    "autoSetup": true,
    "syncFiles": [".env", ".env.local"],
    "defaultEditor": "vscode"
  },
  "postCreate": {
    "copyFiles": [".env"],
    "commands": ["npm install"]
  },
  "tmux": {
    "enabled": true,
    "sessionNaming": "dev-{branch}"
  },
  "github": {
    "branchNaming": {
      "issueTemplate": "feature/{number}-{title}"
    }
  },
  "hooks": {
    "afterCreate": "npm run dev",
    "beforeDelete": "npm run clean"
  }
}

Python Project

{
  "worktrees": {
    "path": "../branches/{branch}"
  },
  "development": {
    "autoSetup": false,
    "syncFiles": [".env", "config.ini"]
  },
  "postCreate": {
    "copyFiles": [".env", "config.ini"],
    "commands": [
      "python -m venv venv",
      "source venv/bin/activate && pip install -r requirements.txt"
    ]
  },
  "hooks": {
    "afterCreate": "pre-commit install"
  }
}

Monorepo Project

{
  "worktrees": {
    "path": "../mono-{branch}",
    "branchPrefix": "workspace/"
  },
  "development": {
    "autoSetup": true,
    "syncFiles": [".env", ".env.local", "turbo.json"]
  },
  "postCreate": {
    "commands": [
      "pnpm install",
      "pnpm build:shared",
      "pnpm prepare"
    ]
  },
  "claude": {
    "markdownMode": "split"
  },
  "hooks": {
    "afterCreate": ["pnpm dev:setup", "pnpm test"],
    "beforeDelete": "pnpm clean:all"
  }
}

MCP Integration

Maestro includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for AI assistant integration.

Setup Instructions

Use the modern claude mcp add command:

Local Scope (Default - only for current project, private to you)

claude mcp add maestro -s local -- npx -y @camoneart/maestro maestro-mcp-server
# Or without -s flag (local is default)
claude mcp add maestro -- npx -y @camoneart/maestro maestro-mcp-server

Project Scope (saved in .mcp.json for team sharing via version control)

claude mcp add maestro -s project -- npx -y @camoneart/maestro maestro-mcp-server

User Scope (available across all projects on the machine)

claude mcp add maestro -s user -- npx -y @camoneart/maestro maestro-mcp-server

For global installation

If you've installed Maestro globally:

claude mcp add maestro -s user -- maestro-mcp-server

Alternative Setup

You can also use JSON configuration with the claude mcp add-json command:

# Using JSON format
claude mcp add-json maestro -s user '{"type":"stdio","command":"npx","args":["-y","@camoneart/maestro","maestro-mcp-server"]}'

# For global installation
claude mcp add-json maestro -s user '{"type":"stdio","command":"maestro-mcp-server","args":[]}'

Note: The traditional manual configuration in .claude/mcp_settings.json is no longer supported.

Available MCP Tools

  • create_orchestra_member - Create new worktrees with optional base branch
  • delete_orchestra_member - Remove worktrees with force option
  • exec_in_orchestra_member - Execute commands within specific worktrees
  • list_orchestra_members - List all active worktrees with status

The MCP server respects all Maestro configuration settings including hooks, sync files, and Claude markdown modes.

Advanced Usage

Conditional Configuration

While Maestro doesn't support conditional configuration directly, you can use different approaches:

  1. Environment-specific files

    • .maestro.json for production
    • .maestro.local.json for local overrides (gitignored)

  2. Branch-based configuration Create different configs for different branch patterns:

    mst init --minimal
mst init

Using with CI/CD

{
  "development": {
    "autoSetup": false
  },
  "hooks": {
    "afterCreate": [
      "[ -z \"$CI\" ] && npm install || echo 'Skipping install in CI'"
    ]
  }
}

Complex Project Structures

For projects with multiple apps or services:

{
  "worktrees": {
    "path": "../services/{branch}"
  },
  "postCreate": {
    "copyFiles": [
      ".env",
      "docker-compose.override.yml",
      "services/*/config.local.js"
    ],
    "commands": [
      "docker-compose build",
      "make setup-all"
    ]
  }
}

Migration Guide

From v3.0.0 to v3.5.0+

The main change is the addition of postCreate:

Before (v3.0.0):

{
  "hooks": {
    "afterCreate": ["cp ../.env .", "npm install"]
  }
}

After (v3.5.0+):

{
  "postCreate": {
    "copyFiles": [".env"],
    "commands": ["npm install"]
  }
}

From manual worktree management

If you're migrating from manual Git worktree commands:

  1. Run mst init to create initial configuration
  2. Customize the worktrees.path to match your existing structure
  3. Add your setup commands to postCreate.commands
  4. Test with mst create test-branch --dry-run

Tips and Best Practices

  1. Keep .maestro.json in version control - Share team settings
  2. Use .maestro.local.json for personal preferences - Override without affecting others
  3. Leverage postCreate for consistency - Ensure all worktrees start with the same state
  4. Use environment variables in hooks - Make scripts more flexible
  5. Test configuration changes - Use --dry-run when available

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

postCreate commands fail

  • Ensure commands work from the worktree directory
  • Check file paths are relative to worktree root
  • Use && to chain dependent commands

Files not syncing

  • Verify files exist in main worktree
  • Check file permissions
  • Use absolute paths if needed

Hooks not executing

  • Ensure proper escaping in JSON strings
  • Test commands manually first
  • Check for shell-specific syntax

Debug Mode

DEBUG=mst:* mst create test-branch

This will show detailed logs including configuration loading and command execution.