# .gitignore Generator

> Describe your stack in plain English, or pick from a list of common environments — get a clean, deduplicated .gitignore.

- URL: https://generate.now/gitignore
- Category: config
- Price: free, no account required
- AI-powered: yes
- Last updated: 2026-08-27

## What it does

Generate a tidy, well-commented .gitignore for any combination of languages, frameworks, and tools. Two modes: describe your project naturally and let AI assemble the file, or pick stacks from a curated list. Sections are labelled, comments are kept, and entries are deduplicated.

## When to use it

- Bootstrap a fresh repo with a sensible .gitignore in seconds
- Add a new language to an existing repo without searching for the right template
- Get a .gitignore for a polyglot project where no single template fits
- Audit your current .gitignore against best practice for your stack

## Examples

### Next.js app with Python data scripts and a Rust CLI

```
# Next.js
.next/
out/

# Python
__pycache__/
*.py[cod]
.venv/

# Rust
target/
Cargo.lock
```

Three stacks merged with comment headers and no duplicate entries.

### Select: Node.js, macOS, JetBrains, VSCode

```
# Node
node_modules/
npm-debug.log*

# macOS
.DS_Store

# JetBrains
.idea/

# VSCode
.vscode/
```

Standard combo for a Node project on a Mac.

### Go service with Docker and Terraform

```
# Go
bin/
*.exe

# Terraform
.terraform/
*.tfstate
*.tfstate.*

# Docker
.env
```

Three toolchains merged, with Terraform state excluded because it routinely contains secrets.

### Python project with Jupyter notebooks

```
# Python
__pycache__/
*.py[cod]
.venv/

# Jupyter
.ipynb_checkpoints/

# Data
*.csv
*.parquet
```

Adds the notebook checkpoint directory that trips up most Python templates.

## Frequently asked questions

### Where does the template data come from?

The 'select' mode uses a curated set of templates derived from the github/gitignore repository, kept up to date with current best practice. The 'describe' mode uses AI to assemble a custom file for cases the curated set doesn't cover cleanly.

### Is the order of entries significant?

Yes, but only in edge cases — later rules can override earlier ones with the ! prefix. The generator preserves a sensible order and avoids using ! unless you describe a need for it.

### Should I commit .env files?

No. Commit .env.example with placeholder values; ignore .env and any .env.local variants. The generated .gitignore includes these by default.

### Why is package-lock.json or pnpm-lock.yaml not ignored?

Lockfiles should be committed — they pin dependency versions for reproducible installs. The generator never adds them to .gitignore.

### Does it handle nested .gitignore files?

Yes, indirectly: nested .gitignore files override the root one for their subtree. The tool generates root-level .gitignore content, but you can paste sections into nested files as needed.

### How do I ignore a file that's already tracked?

A .gitignore entry only affects untracked files — Git keeps managing anything already in the index. Run git rm --cached path/to/file to untrack it while keeping it on disk, then commit. For a directory, add -r.

## References

- [gitignore documentation](https://git-scm.com/docs/gitignore) — Git. The pattern format reference, covering negation, directory matching, and precedence.
- [github/gitignore](https://github.com/github/gitignore) — GitHub. The community-maintained collection of per-language templates these outputs build on.

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