.gitignore Generator: Build Custom gitignore Files

Generate comprehensive .gitignore files by selecting your languages, frameworks, IDEs, operating systems, and tools. This free online tool combines patterns from multiple selections, removes duplicates, and outputs a ready-to-use .gitignore file with organized sections.

Stop accidentally committing node_modules, .env files, or IDE settings. Select your stack below and get a professional .gitignore in seconds. Everything runs in your browser—no data sent to any server.

Quick Presets

0 templates selected | 0 patterns | 0 B 

# Select templates to generate .gitignore

File downloads as gitignore (without dot). Rename to .gitignore in your project root.

What is .gitignore?

A .gitignore file tells Git which files and directories to ignore when tracking changes in your repository. It prevents build outputs, dependencies, secrets, and OS-specific files from being committed, keeping your repo clean and secure.

Why Use a .gitignore Generator?

  • Avoid committing sensitive files — Keep .env files, API keys, and credentials out of version control
  • Keep repos clean — Exclude node_modules, build folders, and other regenerable files
  • Prevent merge conflicts — Don't track OS-specific files like .DS_Store or Thumbs.db
  • Save time — Generate comprehensive patterns instead of writing from scratch
  • Follow best practices — Use community-tested patterns for your stack

Common .gitignore Patterns Explained

  • node_modules/ — NPM dependencies (reinstallable via npm install)
  • *.log — Log files (temporary, often contain sensitive info)
  • .env — Environment variables (contains secrets)
  • dist/ or build/ — Build outputs (regenerable)
  • .DS_Store — macOS folder metadata (OS-specific)
  • __pycache__/ — Python bytecode cache (regenerable)
  • .idea/ — JetBrains IDE settings (user-specific)

Pattern Syntax Quick Reference

  • * — Matches any string except /
  • ** — Matches any path including /
  • ? — Matches any single character
  • [abc] — Matches any character in brackets
  • ! — Negates a pattern (don't ignore this)
  • / at start — Matches from repo root only
  • / at end — Matches directories only

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I commit .gitignore to my repository? +

Yes, absolutely! The .gitignore file should be committed to your repository. It ensures all team members and CI/CD systems ignore the same files, maintaining consistency across the project. It's one of the first files you should create in any new repository.

What's the difference between .gitignore and .dockerignore? +

.gitignore tells Git which files to exclude from version control, while .dockerignore tells Docker which files to exclude when building images. They serve different purposes and can have different contents. You might ignore test files in Docker but track them in Git.

How do I ignore files that are already tracked by Git? +

Adding a file to .gitignore won't untrack files already committed. You need to run 'git rm --cached <file>' to remove the file from Git's index while keeping it locally. Then commit this change. For directories, use 'git rm -r --cached <directory>'.

Can I have multiple .gitignore files in a project? +

Yes, you can have .gitignore files in any subdirectory. Rules in subdirectory .gitignore files only apply to files under that directory. This is useful for monorepos or when different parts of your project need different ignore rules.

How do I ignore everything except specific files? +

Use the negation pattern with '!'. First, ignore everything with '*', then negate specific files with '!filename'. For nested files, you need to negate parent directories too. Example: '*', '!.gitignore', '!/src/', '!/src/**'.