.gitignore Generator

Generate .gitignore files by combining 35+ built-in templates for languages, frameworks, editors, and operating systems. Runs in your browser.

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About .gitignore Generator

Half of every new repo starts with the same ritual: copy-paste the language's gitignore from github/gitignore, paste an OS block on top, paste an IDE block on top of that, dedupe by eye, and hope you didn't miss anything. The official answer (gitignore.io, now Toptal's toptal.com/developers/gitignore) requires a network round-trip per build and tucks the section structure away inside the response. Newcomers ship a Python-only file and silently commit their .DS_Store, their .vscode workspace, and a stray .env for the next year.

This .gitignore generator bundles 33 curated templates in five groups — Languages (Python, Node, Go, Rust, Java, C/C++, Ruby, PHP, C#/.NET, Swift, Kotlin, R), Frameworks (Django, Flask, React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, Laravel), Operating Systems (macOS, Windows, Linux), Editors (VSCode, JetBrains, Vim, Emacs, SublimeText) and Tools (Docker, Terraform, Ansible, LaTeX, Unity, Sensitive credentials). Templates are trimmed and curated from GitHub's canonical collection so you don't ship pointers to long-dead build systems. Tick any combination, the output assembles in real time with a clear # ===== section header per template so future-you can see what came from where. Search filters templates as you type, the result is one click away from copy or download, and the whole thing runs as JavaScript in the page — nothing uploads, no API call, no daily quota.

Use it to bootstrap a fresh repo in five seconds, audit an old .gitignore against the canonical templates to see what's drifted, hand a new joiner the right starter file for their stack, build a monorepo gitignore by combining the right per-language blocks, or just stop reaching for gitignore.io every time you git init.

.gitignore Generator Use Cases

  • Bootstrapping a new repo's .gitignore in seconds rather than copy-paste hunting
  • Onboarding juniors who need the right starter file for their language plus IDE plus OS
  • Building a monorepo gitignore by combining language blocks for several services
  • Auditing an old .gitignore against canonical templates to spot what's drifted
  • Switching teammates from Windows to macOS workflows mid-project without a leak
  • Adding the Sensitive (general) block to projects that ship .env or *.pem locally
  • Replacing the gitignore.io habit with one that doesn't need a network round-trip

.gitignore Generator Features

  • 33 curated templates across 5 groups — Languages, Frameworks, OS, Editors and Tools — drawn from github/gitignore
  • Combine any number of templates in one file with clear # ===== section headers showing what came from which template
  • Live search filters templates as you type — useful when you remember the name but not the group
  • Real-time output panel updates whenever you tick or untick a template, no Generate button to chase
  • One-click Copy or Download as .gitignore — output is a plain UTF-8 text file ready to git add
  • Trimmed templates skip long-dead build systems and pointer files that the canonical github/gitignore versions still carry
  • All assembly runs as JavaScript in your browser — no upload, no API rate limit, no signup

How to Use .gitignore Generator

Pick your language

Tick the language template that matches your project — Python, Node, Go, Rust, Java, C/C++, Ruby, PHP, C#/.NET, Swift, Kotlin or R. For mixed-language repos, tick more than one; the output panel concatenates them with section headers.

Add framework templates if relevant

Most stacks need a framework block on top of the language block — Django or Flask for Python web, Next.js for React, Laravel for PHP. The framework templates are deliberately small (they only add framework-specific paths, not the whole language).

Tick your OS and editor

Always add the OS template (macOS, Windows or Linux) and your editor (VSCode, JetBrains, Vim, Emacs, SublimeText). These two are the biggest sources of accidental commits and are tiny — there's no reason to leave them off.

Add Tools templates as needed

Docker if you have a Dockerfile, Terraform if you have .tf files, LaTeX if you write papers, Unity for game projects. The Sensitive (general) block adds *.pem, .env, secrets.json and similar credential patterns — a good safety net for every repo.

Copy or download the result

The output assembles in the right panel as you tick. Click Copy to grab it for your clipboard or Download to save a .gitignore file directly. Drop it at the root of your repo and git add.

.gitignore Generator FAQ

No. Templates are bundled into the page as JavaScript objects, the output is assembled in client-side code, and the Download button writes a Blob to your local disk. There is no network call, no API, no analytics on what you picked. Useful if you'd rather not advertise your tech stack to a third-party SaaS, and means you can use it offline once the page is loaded.

33 templates across 5 groups. Languages (12): Python, Node, Go, Rust, Java, C/C++, Ruby, PHP, C#/.NET, Swift, Kotlin, R. Frameworks (7): Django, Flask, React, Vue, Angular, Next.js, Laravel. OS (3): macOS, Windows, Linux. Editors (5): VSCode, JetBrains, Vim, Emacs, SublimeText. Tools (6): Docker, Terraform, Ansible, LaTeX, Unity, Sensitive (general).

Curated from them. Each bundled template was trimmed to drop entries for build systems and editors that no one uses anymore (e.g. several decade-old IDE artefacts in the Python.gitignore). The intent is a clean, current starting point — not a literal mirror. If you want the full canonical text, point your browser at github.com/github/gitignore.

Templates are concatenated in selection order with section headers, so duplicates are not currently deduplicated. This is on purpose — git treats duplicate patterns the same as one, and keeping the per-section structure makes it obvious which template each rule came from when you edit later. Some other generators silently dedupe and the result is harder to maintain six months on.

gitignore.io (now toptal.com/developers/gitignore) needs a network round-trip per build and returns one merged file without obvious sections. DevBolt and similar SaaS generators do the job too but require account signup or show ads. This tool is the narrowest version — bundled templates, in-browser assembly, section headers preserved, no signup. Use it when you'd rather not depend on a third party for repo bootstrapping.

Global gitignores (the one Git reads from core.excludesfile, usually ~/.gitignore_global) are personal — they should cover your editor and OS but not your language. For that use case, tick just macOS or Windows plus your editor (VSCode or JetBrains) and copy the result into ~/.gitignore_global. The per-repo file should still carry the language and framework blocks.

Not in the picker — the bundled templates are fixed. The intended workflow is to copy the generated output, paste it into your repo's .gitignore, and add your custom rules at the bottom under a clear # ===== Project specifics header. Keeping custom rules in your own section rather than scattered through the template blocks makes future audits much easier.

Runs in your browser. 35+ templates bundled as JS — no network calls, no uploads.
No templates selected yet.

.gitignore Generator Tutorial

What is .gitignore?

A .gitignore file tells Git which files not to track. Every project needs one — you don't want IDE metadata, build artifacts, credentials, or OS cruft in your repo.

Why This Tool?

Writing .gitignore from scratch is tedious and error-prone. You forget to ignore __pycache__, or miss .DS_Store on macOS, or leave .env exposed. This tool bundles community-proven patterns so you just pick "Python + macOS + VSCode" and get a ready-to-use file.

Templates Based On

GitHub maintains a canonical collection at github/gitignore. This tool carries inline copies of the ~35 most popular templates so you can build offline without hitting any API.

How to Use

  1. Search or scroll to find templates matching your stack
  2. Click to add (click again to remove)
  3. Click "Generate" — a combined .gitignore appears
  4. Copy to clipboard or download the file
  5. Drop in your project root as .gitignore

Combine Layers

Most projects need 3-4 templates. A typical Python web app: Python + Django (or Flask) + macOS/Windows + VSCode. A frontend: Node + macOS + VSCode. Each template is added with a clear section header so you can see what came from where.

Always Add

  • macOS or Windows — every project should ignore OS metadata
  • VSCode or JetBrains — ignore your IDE's workspace files
  • Your language's template
  • Credentials — always add a local entry for .env, *.pem, secrets.json