.gitignore Generator

Key features

• Eleven genuine templates distilled from official language and tooling defaults: Node.js, React (Vite), Next.js, Python, Java, Android, Unreal Engine, macOS, Windows, VS Code and JetBrains IDEs.
• Multi-select any combination; sections are merged in a fixed order with a section-header comment so the file stays readable.
• Duplicate patterns are de-duplicated across templates (first occurrence wins), while comments are always kept for context.
• A custom-rules box appends your project-specific patterns under its own header — path globs, exception lines, whatever your repo needs.
• Live preview with line and byte counts, one-click copy, and a proper .gitignore file download.

How it works

1. 1

   Pick your project types

   Tick every stack the repository touches — a Next.js app deployed on macOS with Python scripts legitimately needs three templates.

2. 2

   Add custom rules

   Type repo-specific patterns in the custom box: local config files, build artifacts, secret environment files with .example exceptions.

3. 3

   Save it to your repo root

   Copy the preview or download the file as .gitignore (no extension) and commit it at the repository root so it applies to every contributor.

Tips for better results

• 💡Put exception lines (!.env.example) after the ignore rule they punch through — git applies patterns top-down.
• 💡Committed a secret before ignoring it? .gitignore only prevents future tracking; remove the file from the index with git rm --cached.
• 💡The macOS and Windows templates stop .DS_Store and Thumbs.db noise in mixed-OS teams — cheap wins even for solo projects.

Frequently asked questions