---
name: "git-ignore"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "git-extras"
version: "7.3.0-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/git-ignore"
---

# git-ignore(1)

Add .gitignore patterns

## NAME

**git-ignore** - Add .gitignore patterns

## SYNOPSIS

**git-ignore** \[\<context\>\] \[\<pattern\> \[\<pattern\>\]...\]

## DESCRIPTION

Adds the given \_pattern\_s to a .gitignore file if it doesn't already exist.

## OPTIONS

\<context\>

\-l, --local

Sets the context to the .gitignore file in the current working directory. (default)

\-g, --global

Sets the context to the global gitignore file for the current user.

\-p, --private

Sets the context to the private exclude file for the repository (**.git/info/exclude**).

\<pattern\>

A space delimited list of patterns to append to the file in context.

### PATTERN FORMAT

Pattern format as described in the git manual

- •

  A blank line matches no files, so it can serve as a separator for readability. To append a blank line use empty quotes "".

- •

  A line starting with # serves as a comment. For example, "# This is a comment"

- •

  An optional prefix ! which negates the pattern; any matching file excluded by a previous pattern will become included again. If a negated pattern matches, this will override lower precedence patterns sources. To use an exclamation ! as command line argument it is best placed between single quotes ''. For example, '!src'

- •

  If the pattern ends with a slash, it is removed for the purpose of the following description, but it would only find a match with a directory. In other words, foo/ will match a directory foo and paths underneath it, but will not match a regular file or a symbolic link foo (this is consistent with the way how pathspec works in general in git).

- •

  If the pattern does not contain a slash /, git treats it as a shell glob pattern and checks for a match against the pathname relative to the location of the .gitignore file (relative to the top level of the work tree if not from a .gitignore file).

- •

  Otherwise, git treats the pattern as a shell glob suitable for consumption by [fnmatch(3)](/fnmatch/3.md) with the FNM\_PATHNAME flag: wildcards in the pattern will not match a / in the pathname. For example, "Documentation/\*.html" matches "Documentation/git.html" but not "Documentation/ppc/ppc.html" or "tools/perf/Documentation/perf.html".

- •

  A leading slash matches the beginning of the pathname. For example, "/\*.c" matches "cat-file.c" but not "mozilla-sha1/sha1.c".

-

  ## EXAMPLES

All arguments are optional so calling git-ignore alone will display first the global then the local gitignore files:

-

  ```
  $ git ignore
  Global gitignore: /home/alice/.gitignore
  # Numerous always-ignore extensions
  *.diff
  *.err
  *.orig
  *.rej
  *.swo
  *.swp
  *.vi
  *~
  *.sass-cache
  # OS or Editor folders
  .DS_Store
  .Trashes
  ._*
  Thumbs.db
  ---------------------------------
  Local gitignore: .gitignore
  .cache
  .project
  .settings
  .tmproj
  nbproject
  ```

-

  If you only want to see the global context use the --global argument (for local use --local):

-

  ```
  $ git ignore
  Global gitignore: /home/alice/.gitignore
  .DS_Store
  .Trashes
  ._*
  Thumbs.db
  ```

-

  To quickly append a new pattern to the default/local context simply:

-

  ```
  $ git ignore *.log
  Adding pattern(s) to: .gitignore
  ... adding '*.log'
  ```

-

  You can now configure any patterns without ever using an editor, with a context and pattern arguments: The resulting configuration is also returned for your convenience.

-

  ```
  $ git ignore --local "" "# Temporary files" *.tmp "*.log" tmp/*  "" "# Files I'd like to keep" '!work'  ""
  Adding pattern(s) to: .gitignore
  ... adding ''
  ... adding '# Temporary files'
  ... adding 'index.tmp'
  ... adding '*.log'
  ... adding 'tmp/*'
  ... adding ''
  ... adding '# Files I'd like to keep'
  ... adding '!work'
  ... adding ''
  Local gitignore: .gitignore
  # Temporary files
  index.tmp
  *.log
  # Files I'd like to keep
  !work
  ```

-

  ## AUTHOR

Written by Tj Holowaychuk \<*tj@vision-media.ca*\> and Tema Bolshakov \<*tweekane@gmail.com*\> and Nick Lombard \<*github@jigsoft.co.za*\>

## REPORTING BUGS

\<*https://github.com/tj/git-extras/issues*\>

## SEE ALSO

\<*https://github.com/tj/git-extras*\>