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v1.0.0•2024

VS Code .gitignore Setup

Complete guide to creating, managing, and optimizing .gitignore files in Visual Studio Code. From basic setup to advanced workspace configurations.

⚡ Quick Start

1. Open Command Palette
Ctrl+Shift+P (Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
2. Type Command
"Git: Add gitignore"
3. Select Template
Choose your project type

4 Ways to Create .gitignore in VS Code

1Command Palette

Ctrl+Shift+P (Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
  1. 1Open Command Palette
  2. 2Type "Git: Add gitignore"
  3. 3Select your project type
  4. 4VS Code creates .gitignore automatically
Fastest method with built-in templates

2Explorer Right-Click

Right-click in Explorer
  1. 1Right-click in the Explorer panel
  2. 2Select "New File"
  3. 3Name it ".gitignore"
  4. 4Start adding patterns
Most intuitive for beginners

3File Menu

Ctrl+N (Cmd+N on Mac)
  1. 1File → New File
  2. 2Save as ".gitignore"
  3. 3Make sure to include the dot prefix
  4. 4Place in project root directory
Traditional file creation approach

4Integrated Terminal

Ctrl+` (Cmd+` on Mac)
  1. 1Open integrated terminal
  2. 2Run: touch .gitignore
  3. 3File appears in Explorer
  4. 4Double-click to edit
Works on Mac/Linux and Git Bash on Windows

Recommended Extensions

gitignore

by codezombiech

Language support for .gitignore files with syntax highlighting

Features:

Syntax highlightingAuto-completionPattern validation
ext install codezombiech.gitignore

Git Graph

by mhutchie

Visual git repository management with ignore file insights

Features:

Visual git historyBranch managementFile status overview
ext install mhutchie.git-graph

GitLens

by eamodio

Supercharge Git capabilities with enhanced gitignore features

Features:

Git blameRepository insightsFile history
ext install eamodio.gitlens

VS Code Specific .gitignore Patterns

Personal VS Code Settings

Settings that should be ignored for personal preferences

# VS Code personal settings .vscode/settings.json .vscode/launch.json .vscode/tasks.json # User-specific files .vscode/sftp.json .vscode/ftp-sync.json

Team Shared Configuration

VS Code files that should be committed for team consistency

# Keep these VS Code files for team sharing !.vscode/ !.vscode/extensions.json !.vscode/settings.shared.json !.vscode/launch.shared.json # Ignore personal overrides .vscode/settings.json .vscode/launch.json .vscode/tasks.json

Multi-root Workspace

Patterns for VS Code multi-root workspace projects

# VS Code workspace files *.code-workspace # Workspace specific settings .vscode/workspace.json .vscode/*.code-snippets # Per-folder settings */.vscode/settings.json */.vscode/launch.json

Workspace Configuration

Settings.json

Configure VS Code to hide common generated files and optimize search performance.

{
  "files.exclude": {
    "**/.git": true,
    "**/.DS_Store": true,
    "**/node_modules": true,
    "**/__pycache__": true
  },
  "search.exclude": {
    "**/node_modules": true,
    "**/bower_components": true,
    "**/*.code-search": true
  },
  "git.ignoreLimitWarning": true
}

Extensions.json

Recommend helpful extensions to team members for consistent .gitignore workflow.

{
  "recommendations": [
    "codezombiech.gitignore",
    "eamodio.gitlens", 
    "ms-vscode.vscode-json"
  ]
}

Essential Keyboard Shortcuts

Open Command Palette
Access Git commands quickly
Ctrl+Shift+P
Open Integrated Terminal
Run git commands
Ctrl+`
Quick Open File
Find .gitignore quickly
Ctrl+P
Go to Line
Navigate large .gitignore files
Ctrl+G
Toggle Explorer
Show/hide file explorer
Ctrl+Shift+E
Search in Files
Find patterns across project
Ctrl+Shift+F

VS Code Tips & Best Practices

✅ Do This

  • • Use Command Palette for quick .gitignore creation
  • • Install syntax highlighting extensions
  • • Configure workspace settings for team consistency
  • • Use integrated terminal for git commands
  • • Leverage IntelliSense for pattern completion

💡 Pro Tips

  • • Use Ctrl+P to quickly find .gitignore files
  • • Set up Git Graph for visual repository management
  • • Configure files.exclude to hide ignored files from Explorer
  • • Use search.exclude to improve search performance

❌ Avoid This

  • • Don't ignore .vscode/ completely (team settings are useful)
  • • Don't create .gitignore without using templates
  • • Don't forget to test patterns before committing
  • • Don't place .gitignore in wrong directory

⚠️ Common Mistakes

  • • Ignoring files that are already tracked
  • • Using incorrect pattern syntax
  • • Not considering team collaboration needs
  • • Forgetting to commit .gitignore changes

Editor configurations

Standardise your editor setup

Share one VS Code ignore template across every repository.

Get VS Code template