Frequently Asked Questions

Common reasons gitignore not working: 1) Files already tracked by Git (fix: git rm --cached filename), 2) Wrong .gitignore location (must be in project root), 3) Incorrect syntax, 4) Pattern order matters. Use "git check-ignore -v filename" to debug. For comprehensive troubleshooting, see our gitignore troubleshooting guide.

Common issues include: 1) Files already tracked by git (use git rm --cached), 2) Incorrect pattern syntax, 3) Pattern order matters (specific before general), 4) Cache issues (clear with git clean), 5) Global vs local gitignore conflicts. Use our validator tool to test patterns and our diff tool to compare with working templates. Check our troubleshooting guide for more solutions.

.gitignore is a text file that tells Git which files and folders to ignore in your repository. It prevents sensitive files like passwords, build outputs, and temporary files from being committed to version control. Every line in .gitignore specifies a pattern for files Git should ignore. Learn more in our comprehensive what is .gitignore guide.

To use .gitignore: 1) Create a file named ".gitignore" in your project root, 2) Add patterns for files to ignore (like "*.log" or "node_modules/"), 3) Save and commit the .gitignore file. Git will then ignore all files matching these patterns. For detailed instructions, see our complete how-to-use guide.

Create .gitignore using: Command line: "touch .gitignore" (Mac/Linux) or "echo. > .gitignore" (Windows). File explorer: Create new text file and name it ".gitignore". IDE: Most IDEs have templates. Place it in your project root directory (same level as .git folder). For step-by-step instructions, visit our file creation guide.

To add files to .gitignore: 1) Open .gitignore file, 2) Add the filename or pattern (e.g., "config.json" or "*.log"), 3) Save the file. For folders, add "/" at the end (e.g., "node_modules/"). Use "*" for wildcards.

Add multiple files to .gitignore by listing each on a new line. Examples: "*.log" (all log files), "temp/" (temp folder), "config.json" (specific file). Use patterns like "*.tmp", "build/", or "!important.log" (exception).

To ignore a folder in .gitignore, add the folder name followed by a slash: "foldername/". Examples: "node_modules/", "build/", ".vscode/". This ignores the entire folder and all its contents.

No, package-lock.json should NOT be in .gitignore. It ensures all team members use the same dependency versions. Only ignore package-lock.json in libraries/packages, not applications. Always commit it for consistent builds across environments.

No, yarn.lock should NOT be in .gitignore. Like package-lock.json, it locks dependency versions for consistent installs. Always commit yarn.lock to ensure all developers get identical dependency trees.

For applications: No, commit Gemfile.lock to ensure consistent gem versions. For gems/libraries: Yes, add it to .gitignore to allow flexible dependency resolution. This follows Ruby community conventions and prevents version conflicts in different deployment scenarios.

Yes, always add Python virtual environments to .gitignore: "venv/", ".venv/", "env/", "ENV/". Virtual environments are large, platform-specific, and easily recreated from requirements.txt. Never commit virtual environments.

Partially. Ignore personal settings: ".vscode/settings.json", ".vscode/launch.json" in .gitignore. But commit shared settings that benefit the team. Use ".vscode/*" then "!.vscode/extensions.json" to ignore all except recommended extensions. See our VS Code gitignore guide for detailed patterns.

No, package.json should NOT be in .gitignore. It's essential metadata that defines your project dependencies, scripts, and configuration. Always commit package.json so team members can install dependencies and run your application. Only the node_modules/ folder should be ignored.

Yes, always add "__pycache__/" and "*.pyc" to .gitignore. These are Python bytecode files that are automatically generated and platform-specific. They're easily recreated and have no value in version control. Standard Python .gitignore templates always include these patterns. Check our Python gitignore guide for complete templates.

For Flutter apps: No, commit pubspec.lock to ensure consistent dependency versions across all team members and deployment environments. For packages: Yes, ignore it to allow flexible version resolution. This follows Dart/Flutter community best practices.

Yes, always add .DS_Store to .gitignore. These are macOS system files that store folder metadata and should never be committed to version control. Add ".DS_Store" and "**/.DS_Store" to ignore them in all directories. They're platform-specific and serve no purpose in your repository.

Partially. Add personal IDE settings to .gitignore: ".idea/workspace.xml", ".idea/tasks.xml", ".idea/usage.statistics.xml". But commit shared settings that benefit the team like code style configs and inspection profiles. Use ".idea/*" then exclude specific files with "!.idea/codeStyles/".

Yes, always add "node_modules/" to .gitignore. This folder contains all NPM dependencies and can be massive (hundreds of MB). It's easily recreated from package.json and package-lock.json. Committing node_modules slows down cloning, increases repository size, and causes merge conflicts.

Yes, typically "dist/" should be in .gitignore. This folder contains built/compiled output that's generated from source code. It's large, changes frequently, and can be recreated from source. However, some projects do commit dist/ for distribution - check your project's specific requirements.

Yes, add ".vs/" to .gitignore for Visual Studio projects. This folder contains user-specific IDE settings, temporary files, and debugging information. It's large and personal to each developer. Standard Visual Studio .gitignore templates include this pattern.

Yes, add ".gradle/" to .gitignore. This folder contains Gradle build cache and temporary files that are specific to each machine. It's large and easily recreated. However, commit the gradle wrapper files (gradlew, gradlew.bat, gradle/wrapper/) to ensure consistent builds.

Use our diff tool when migrating between frameworks, standardizing team .gitignore files, reviewing pull requests that modify ignore patterns, comparing templates, optimizing existing files, or training new developers. It's essential for maintaining clean, efficient ignore patterns across projects and teams.

Follow these best practices: 1) Regularly compare with updated templates using our diff tool, 2) Use comments to organize sections, 3) Test patterns before adding them with our validator, 4) Keep framework-specific patterns separate, 5) Document custom patterns for team members, 6) Avoid overly broad patterns, 7) Remove duplicates and conflicts with our converter tool. See our complete best practices guide.

Use our GitIgnore Diff tool to paste both .gitignore files and instantly see the differences. The tool highlights added, removed, and unchanged patterns side-by-side. Simply paste your original .gitignore in the left panel, your new version in the right panel, and click "Compare Files" to see detailed results with color-coded differences.

Yes! GitIgnore.pro offers the only free online gitignore diff tool that compares two .gitignore files and shows detailed differences. Our tool is completely free, requires no registration, and provides instant visual comparison with export capabilities for team sharing.

Use our GitIgnore Converter tool to merge multiple .gitignore files into one optimized file. The tool automatically removes duplicates, resolves conflicts, and organizes patterns by category. Simply paste all your .gitignore contents and get a clean, merged result.

Use our GitIgnore Validator tool to test your patterns against actual file paths. Enter your .gitignore content and test file paths to see which files would be ignored. This helps ensure your patterns work correctly before deployment.

Add environment files to .gitignore: ".env", ".env.local", ".env.production". This prevents sensitive data like API keys and passwords from being committed. Always add env files before committing any code.

Yes, absolutely! Environment files (.env, .env.local, .env.production) contain sensitive information like API keys, passwords, and configuration secrets. Always add all .env variants to .gitignore before your first commit. Use .env.example to document required environment variables without exposing actual values.

Yes, always commit .gitignore files! They should be shared with all team members to ensure consistent ignore patterns across the project. The .gitignore file is meant to be part of your repository and helps maintain clean, professional version control for your entire team.

No, never add .git to .gitignore. The .git folder IS the repository and cannot be ignored by Git. Adding it would be meaningless and potentially confusing. The .git folder is automatically excluded from Git operations and should never be manually modified.

No, never add .gitignore to itself. The .gitignore file should be committed and shared with your team to ensure everyone uses the same ignore patterns. Adding ".gitignore" to .gitignore would prevent it from being tracked, defeating its purpose.

.gitignore files are committed and shared with all team members, while .git/info/exclude is local-only and not shared. Use .gitignore for project-wide patterns that everyone needs, and .git/info/exclude for personal preferences like editor files or local development tools.

Teams should: 1) Use our diff tool to standardize .gitignore files across projects, 2) Create a team template and regularly compare individual projects against it, 3) Review .gitignore changes in pull requests using our diff tool, 4) Document custom patterns and their purposes, 5) Use our analyzer to optimize team templates. Read our team collaboration guide.

GitIgnore.pro offers more than just generation - we provide the only online gitignore diff tool for comparing files, plus validation, analysis, and conversion tools. While other generators like gitignore.io only create templates, we offer a complete suite of professional tools for .gitignore file management, including the unique ability to compare and merge multiple ignore files.