.gitignore Generator
Generate a .gitignore file by selecting your tech stack — Node, Python, Go, Rust, and more.
Tech stacks
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.gitignore
What belongs in a .gitignore file?
A .gitignore tells Git which files and directories not to track — typically compiled output (dist/, target/), dependency folders (node_modules/), environment files (.env), and OS artefacts (.DS_Store, Thumbs.db). Patterns support glob syntax: leading ! negates a rule, trailing / matches directories only, and ** matches any depth. Combine entries from multiple stacks — for a Next.js project on macOS you want both the Next and macOS sections. To format your code before committing, visit the JSON Formatter or YAML Formatter.
Built and maintained by Meet Shah · Last updated
What this tool is used for
- Producing a gitignore for a stack rather than writing one from memory.
- Combining several stacks' patterns into one file.
- Adding editor and OS patterns you always forget.
- Producing a starting file you then extend per project.
- Comparing a generated file against an inherited one.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why does gitignore not work on an already-tracked file?
- Because it only affects UNtracked files. Once a file is in the index, git keeps tracking it regardless — `git rm --cached <file>` removes it from tracking while leaving it on disk, and that is the step people miss when a secret is committed.
- How do the pattern rules work?
- A leading slash anchors to the directory containing the file; a trailing slash matches directories only; `**` crosses directories; and `!` negates. The subtlety is that a negation cannot re-include a file if its parent directory is excluded — git never descends into it.
- Where can .gitignore files live?
- Any directory, with rules applying to that subtree and deeper ones overriding shallower. There is also a global ignore file for editor and OS artefacts, which is where `.DS_Store` and `.idea/` belong rather than in every repository.
- Does ignoring a file remove it from history?
- No. History is immutable, so a committed secret stays in every clone until the history is rewritten with `filter-repo` or BFG — and even then, the correct first response is to rotate the credential, because it must be assumed compromised.
- What is usually forgotten?
- Environment files, editor directories, OS metadata, build output, and coverage reports. `.env` is the one that matters — a generated ignore file is worth checking against what your framework actually produces, since defaults lag behind tooling.
Common errors and gotchas
- Adding a pattern for a file that is already tracked, which git keeps tracking until you remove it from the index.
- Ignoring a lock file, which usually should be committed.
- Ignoring a whole directory when one file inside it needs tracking, which needs a negation pattern.
- Committing an ignore rule that hides a build output someone else needs.
- Assuming ignoring a secret file protects it, when it may already be in the history.
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