Branch

A path through the Tree graph from a shared prerequisite to a distinct outcome. Branches express parallel approaches or independent workstreams.

A branch is a path through the Tree graph from a shared prerequisite to a distinct outcome. Branches represent the parts of a project where multiple parallel approaches are being considered, or where genuinely independent workstreams run alongside each other.

A shape, not a node type

A branch is a structural feature, not a special node type. The term refers to the resulting shape: when two or more node chains diverge from a common point and develop independently, each diverging chain is a branch.

  • The shared prerequisite is the branch point.
  • The terminal nodes of each path are the branch tips.

Convergence

Branches can converge. Two parallel branches can both feed into a single downstream node, in which case that node has both branches as prerequisites. The convergence node won't unlock until every contributing branch completes its work.

Pruning

Branches can be pruned. Removing a branch deletes its nodes and edges from the graph. The decision to prune is preserved in the graph's history, so teams can see what was rejected and why, but the pruned work no longer affects the active project.

Why branches matter

Branches are the structural feature that distinguishes Tree from list-based project tools. A list can express order but not divergence. Two paths in a list are either two lists or one list with priority rules. Neither captures the shape that a graph expresses naturally as branches.

The verb form is "branching." See How branching works for the mechanic.

LAST UPDATED · 2026-05-11