Simple explanation

Imagine your project is a Word document. A branch is like making a full copy of that document before you start editing. You edit the copy. The original sits untouched on your desktop. If the edits go wrong — you still have the original. Perfect. Unchanged. Safe. GitHub calls that copy a branch.

What to do

Open GitHub Desktop before every AI session. You will see a button at the top that says "Current Branch." Click it. Click "New Branch." Name it something simple like "todays-changes" or "adding-contact-form." Click Create. Now start your AI session. Everything AI touches happens on that branch. Your main project is completely safe. When you're done and everything works: Go back to GitHub Desktop. Click "Current Branch." Switch back to "main." Click "Merge into main." Your working changes are now saved permanently. When something breaks: Simply delete the branch. Switch back to main. Your original code is exactly as you left it. Start again. Nothing lost. The order that matters: Open GitHub Desktop first. Create a branch. Then open Claude Code. In that order. Every time. Without exception.

Copy-paste prompt

I am about to start a new AI session to [describe what you want to build or change]. Before I do, can you confirm the correct GitHub Desktop steps to create a new branch so my main project stays safe while we work?

Course note

Creating a branch before every session is one of the first habits the course builds into your workflow — it is the safety net that lets you experiment without fear.

Key takeaway

Open GitHub Desktop first. Create a branch. Then open Claude Code. In that order. Every time. Without exception.