.gitignore generator

How to use it

1. Search for each part of your stack (for example Node, Python, Terraform) and click it to select.
2. Add your operating systems and editors (macOS, Windows, VisualStudioCode, JetBrains) so personal files never reach the repository.
3. Click Generate .gitignore, then copy it or download the file and put it in the root of your repository.

Templates are fetched live from GitHub's github/gitignore collection, so they stay current. Duplicate rules across templates are removed.

What should always be in a .gitignore

• Secrets: .env, .env.*, credential files and private keys. Commit a .env.example with placeholder values instead.
• Dependencies: node_modules/, vendor/ and Python virtual environments such as .venv/.
• Build output: dist/, build/, .next/, target/, __pycache__/.
• OS and editor files: .DS_Store, Thumbs.db, .idea/, and most of .vscode/.

Already committed a file you meant to ignore?

Adding it to .gitignore does not remove it from the repository. Run git rm --cached path/to/file, commit, and the file will be ignored from then on. If it was a secret, rotate it: it is still in your history.

Global gitignore

Editor and OS files are personal, so many teams keep them out of the project file and put them in a global ignore file: git config --global core.excludesFile ~/.gitignore_global.

FAQ

Where do the templates come from?

From GitHub's official github/gitignore repository, the same templates GitHub offers when you create a new repository.

Why is a file still showing up after I added it?

It is already tracked. Untrack it with git rm --cached and commit.

Should I commit the .gitignore file?

Yes. It belongs in the repository so every developer and CI job ignores the same files.

Can I ignore everything except one file?

Yes, with negation: ignore the folder's contents with logs/*, then re-include a file with !logs/.gitkeep.

Is it free?

Yes. All tools at ryzlabs.com/tools are free with no sign-up.