---
title: 'gitignore.io is great'
date: 2020-08-05
excerpt: 'Put simply, gitignore.io is a tool that is so profoundly helpful that I''ve forgotten what life was like without it.'
tags: [developer, tools, productivity]
canonical: https://mikebifulco.com/posts/gitignore-io-is-great
---
# gitignore.io is great

Put simply, [gitignore.io](https://gitignore.io) is a tool that is so profoundly helpful that I've *forgotten what life was like without it.*

Its purpose is simple: for any project you're working on, it'll generate a valid [`.gitignore`](https://docs.github.com/en/rest/reference/gitignore) file for you. All you need to do is use the autocomplete box provided to describe the type of project you're working on:

![Screenshot of the web interface for gitignore](https://res.cloudinary.com/mikebifulco-com/image/upload/q_auto:eco,f_auto/gitignore-fill-in-the-blanks)

> A .gitignore file is used to tell git to exclude files from
> being added to a given repo. Each line of the file represents a filename,
> directory, or pattern. When git looks for changes in your working directory,
> it will automatically ignore any file that matches an entry in your .gitignore
> file.

From there, you'll hit the `Create` button, which will bring you to a page that displays nothing but the raw text which you'll need to add to your project's `.gitignore`. If you selected just `react`, for example this is what you'd see on the next page:

```
  # Created by https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/react
  # Edit at https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore?templates=react

  ### react ###
  .DS_*
  *.log
  logs
  **/*.backup.*
  **/*.back.*

  node_modules
  bower_components

  *.sublime*

  psd
  thumb
  sketch

  # End of https://www.toptal.com/developers/gitignore/api/react
```

That's all there is to it, too! I use it on the vast majority of projects I work on, new and old, and as far as I can tell, it hasn't let me down in any meaningful way.

## It's Open Source!

One of the reasons I like this tool so much is that it gets better the more people use it. Is it missing support for a project type that you work with? Go ahead and submit a [Pull Request](https://github.com/toptal/gitignore.io), and it may be integrated into the product one day. Or, if you're not quite comfortable with a full-on PR, you can start the discussion in an issue on the repo. Maybe something isn't working like you'd expect -- and it's worth pitching in your two cents in the discussion on an open issue. *All of that* is contributing to Open Source -- don't forget!

As I understand it, it was created by [@joeblau](https://twitter.com/joeblau), and quickly gained momentum with developers. As I write this post, there are [**135** contributors](https://github.com/toptal/gitignore.io/graphs/contributors) on the project.

[Gitignore.io](https://gitignore.io) is a great example of a successful Open Source tool born out of the desire for an improved developer workflow. It currently appears to be operated by [TopTal](https://www.toptal.com/), a company that helps freelancers find work.

> (note for transparency: I have no connection to TopTal, and this is not a
> sponsored post. I do (update: 11/2020) used to
> work for
>
> Aquent
>
> , which is a creative staffing agency. If you're looking for work, give
> us them a look!).

## There's a CLI

If you prefer it, there's a [CLI](https://docs.gitignore.io/install/command-line) which will help you generate gitignore files, powered by this same project. I can't say I've used it, but I know some of you will want to give it a go, so it's worth mentioning

## There's other options, too

If you don't find gitignore.io particularly appealing, there's always other ways to cretae your `.gitignore` file. You can write it by hand, or grab one from another project you work on. [GitHub also maintains a repo](https://github.com/github/gitignore) of popular gitignore files, which seems to be updated quite frequently as well.

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---

Written by Mike Bifulco. Originally published at https://mikebifulco.com/posts/gitignore-io-is-great