Do I need to commit .gitignore?

Yes — .gitignore should be committed to the repository so all collaborators benefit from the same ignore rules.

How do I add custom patterns?

Open your .gitignore file and add the pattern on a new line. Use # for comments, * for wildcards, / to match directories, and ! to un-ignore a previously ignored path.

How do I ignore a file that is already tracked?

Adding a file to .gitignore does not remove it from tracking if it was previously committed. Run: git rm --cached to stop tracking it without deleting the file locally.

What is the \#file\# pattern in Emacs?

Emacs wraps auto-save filenames with # characters (e.g., #myfile.txt#). These are crash-recovery files created while a buffer is being edited and should not be committed.

.gitignore for Emacs

Emacs backup files, auto-save files, lock files, and Elpa packages.

Quick presets

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Emacs

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22 patterns · 384 B

# Generated by DevZone Tools — https://devzone.tools/tools/gitignore-generator
# Templates: Emacs
# 2026-04-20

# ---- Emacs ----
# Emacs
*~
\#*\#
/.emacs.desktop
/.emacs.desktop.lock
*.elc
auto-save-list
tramp
.\#*
.org-id-locations
*_archive
/eshell/history
/eshell/lastdir
/elpa/
*.rel
/auto/
.cask/
dist/
flycheck_*.el
/server/
.projectile
.dir-locals.el
/network-security.data

What this template ignores

Ignores Emacs backup files (ending in ~), auto-save files (#file#), lock files, compiled .elc files, and Elpa package directories.

Commonly paired with

linux macos Combine →

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to commit .gitignore?: Yes — .gitignore should be committed to the repository so all collaborators benefit from the same ignore rules.
How do I add custom patterns?: Open your .gitignore file and add the pattern on a new line. Use # for comments, * for wildcards, / to match directories, and ! to un-ignore a previously ignored path.
How do I ignore a file that is already tracked?: Adding a file to .gitignore does not remove it from tracking if it was previously committed. Run: git rm --cached <file> to stop tracking it without deleting the file locally.
What is the \#file\# pattern in Emacs?: Emacs wraps auto-save filenames with # characters (e.g., #myfile.txt#). These are crash-recovery files created while a buffer is being edited and should not be committed.

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