.gitignore Generator
Tick your stack, editor and OS, add any custom rules, then copy or download a ready-to-use .gitignore. Nothing is uploaded — everything is assembled in your browser.
What a .gitignore does
A .gitignore file tells Git which untracked files and folders to skip, keeping build output, dependencies, secrets and editor noise out of your repository. It lives in the repository root and can be scoped with nested files. Two things surprise people: an already-tracked file stays tracked until you run git rm --cached, and the built-in rule sets here are only starting points — always review them for your own project and confirm the current pattern syntax in the official Git documentation before relying on a rule. For other developer tasks, format data with the JSON formatter, build schedule strings with the cron expression generator and work out file permissions with the chmod calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Will this remove files that Git already tracks?
No. A .gitignore only affects files Git has never tracked. To stop tracking an already-committed file you must remove it from the index with git rm --cached, commit that change, and only then will the ignore rule apply.
Are these templates the official ones?
No. They are short, hand-written starters for the most common stacks, editors and operating systems, meant to save typing. Treat them as a starting point and adjust them for your own project rather than assuming they cover every case.
How do I ignore files in every repository?
Use a global ignore file and point Git at it, for example git config --global core.excludesfile ~/.gitignore_global. Personal editor and OS noise such as .DS_Store or .idea/ often belongs in that global file so it stays out of each project's .gitignore.
What pattern syntax is supported?
Standard Git patterns: a trailing slash matches a directory, a leading exclamation mark negates an earlier rule, an asterisk matches within a path segment, a double asterisk matches across directories, and a line beginning with a hash is a comment.
Can I combine several stacks?
Yes. Tick as many stacks, editors and systems as you need; the sections are merged and identical lines are removed. You can then append custom rules, which are deduplicated against the templates as well.
Is anything uploaded?
No. The templates and your custom lines are combined in your browser with plain JavaScript. Nothing is sent to a server and nothing is stored between visits.
Related: format data with the JSON formatter, build schedule strings with the cron expression generator, check permissions with the chmod calculator, and browse every browser-only tool on the all tools page.