.gitignore Generator

Check the languages, frameworks, and tools your project uses — get a ready .gitignore assembled from templates with duplicates removed. Copy it or download the file.

Why you need a .gitignore. A .gitignore file tells Git which files and folders to leave untracked: dependencies (node_modules, vendor), build artifacts, logs, local configs with secrets (.env), and IDE/OS junk (.DS_Store, .idea). Without it, junk lands in your repo — bloating history, leaking passwords, and causing conflicts over other people's settings. The generator assembles a .gitignore from GitHub's vetted templates for your chosen stack.

FAQ

What should always go in .gitignore?

Dependencies (node_modules, vendor), environment files with secrets (.env), build artifacts (dist, build), logs, caches, and OS junk (.DS_Store, Thumbs.db). The rule of thumb: anything generated automatically or containing secrets should not be committed.

Why is node_modules not committed?

It is hundreds of megabytes of dependencies that one npm install restores from package.json. Storing it in git is pointless: it bloats the repo, and versions are already pinned in package-lock.json.

What if a file is already tracked by git?

Adding it to .gitignore is not enough — Git keeps tracking an already-committed file. Remove it from the index with git rm --cached <file> and commit; it stays on disk but leaves the repo.

Where do I put the .gitignore file?

Usually in the repository root — rules apply recursively to all subfolders. You can keep additional .gitignore files in nested folders for local rules, but for most projects a single root file is enough.