paperclipai/paperclip · error

Invalid branch name

Error message

Invalid branch name "${branchName}": ${extractExecSyncErrorMessage(error) ?? String(error)}

What it means

Delegated format check on git branch names: the value failed `git check-ref-format --branch`, meaning git itself considers it an invalid branch reference (bad characters, double dots, leading dash, etc.); the underlying git error is embedded in the message.

Solutions

1. Fix the branch name per git's naming rules (no spaces, no '..', no leading dash, etc.).

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at cli/src/commands/worktree.ts:636 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: See trigger scenarios.

AI-assisted analysis of paperclipai/paperclip@01ad858492 (2026-08-18). Data as JSON: /api/errors/49e00664f3996d6b. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at cli/src/commands/worktree.ts:685

    }).trim();
    return nonEmpty(value);
  } catch {
    return null;
  }
}

function validateGitBranchName(cwd: string, branchName: string): string {
  const value = nonEmpty(branchName);
  if (!value) {
    throw new Error("Branch name is required.");
  }
  try {
    execFileSync("git", ["check-ref-format", "--branch", value], {
      cwd,
      stdio: ["ignore", "pipe", "pipe"],
    });
  } catch (error) {
    throw new Error(`Invalid branch name "${branchName}": ${extractExecSyncErrorMessage(error) ?? String(error)}`);
  }
  return value;
}

function isPrimaryGitWorktree(cwd: string): boolean {
  const workspace = detectGitWorkspaceInfo(cwd);
  return Boolean(workspace && workspace.gitDir === workspace.commonDir);
}

function resolvePrimaryGitRepoRoot(cwd: string): string {
  const workspace = detectGitWorkspaceInfo(cwd);
  if (!workspace) {
    throw new Error("Current directory is not inside a git repository.");
  }
  if (workspace.gitDir === workspace.commonDir) {
    return workspace.root;
  }
  return path.resolve(workspace.commonDir, "..");

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