GitGroomer

Gitignore Generator

Create a custom `.gitignore` file for your project by selecting the technologies, frameworks, and tools you use.

How to Use

1

Search & Select: Find and select the technologies (e.g., Node, Python, Vue) you're using from the list.

2

Generate: The `.gitignore` content is generated automatically as you select items, combining the rules for each technology.

3

Copy or Download: Copy the generated content to your clipboard or download it as a `.gitignore` file.

Select Technologies

Generated .gitignore

Select technologies to generate your .gitignore file...

What is a .gitignore file?

A `.gitignore` file is a text file that tells Git which files or folders to ignore in a project. This is crucial for keeping your repository clean and preventing unnecessary files—like build artifacts, dependency caches, and system files—from being committed to version control.

Common Use Cases

Ignoring Build Artifacts

Exclude compiled files, binaries, and other build outputs (e.g., `dist/`, `build/`, `*.exe`).

Excluding Dependencies

Keep dependency folders like `node_modules/` or `vendor/` out of your repository.

Hiding System Files

Prevent system-specific files like `.DS_Store`, `Thumbs.db`, or `.vscode/` from being committed.

Securing Private Data

Ensure environment files (`.env`), API keys, and other sensitive information are never committed.

How .gitignore Works

Git checks for `.gitignore` files in each directory of your repository. The rules in these files are processed from top to bottom, and patterns are matched against file and directory names. You can use wildcards, comments, and other patterns to create flexible and powerful ignore rules.

Example: Node.js .gitignore

A typical `.gitignore` for a Node.js project might look like this:

# Logs
logs
*.log
npm-debug.log*

# Runtime data
pids
*.pid
*.seed

# Directory for instrumented libs generated by jscoverage/JSCover
lib-cov

# Coverage directory used by Istanbul
coverage

# Grunt intermediate storage (http://gruntjs.com/creating-plugins#storing-task-files)
.grunt

# node-waf configuration
.lock-wscript

# Compiled binary addons (http://nodejs.org/api/addons.html)
build/Release

# Dependency directories
node_modules
jspm_packages

# Optional npm cache directory
.npm

# Optional REPL history
.node_repl_history

# Environment variables
.env
.env.local
.env.development.local
.env.test.local
.env.production.local

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does the .gitignore data come from?

This tool uses a local copy of the comprehensive collection of .gitignore templates from GitHub's official repository. This ensures the tool is fast, reliable, and works offline.

Can I combine multiple technologies?

Yes! You can search for and add as many technologies as you need. The tool will intelligently combine the rules from each selected template into a single, well-organized .gitignore file.

What if a file is already tracked by Git?

A .gitignore file only prevents untracked files from being added to the repository. If a file is already being tracked by Git, adding it to .gitignore will not remove it. You must untrack it manually using the command git rm --cached .

How do I add custom rules?

You can copy the generated content from this tool and paste it into your local .gitignore file. From there, you can add your own custom rules or comments anywhere in the file. Your custom rules will not be overwritten unless you regenerate and replace the entire file.

Should I commit the `.gitignore` file to my repository?

Yes, absolutely. The .gitignore file should be committed to your repository so that the ignore rules are shared with every developer who clones the project. This ensures a consistent environment for everyone.