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.

Where should I store session secrets?

In .env (never committed) or a secrets manager. Never hardcode secrets in application code.

.gitignore for Express

Express.js Node application: node_modules, environment files, and logs.

Quick presets

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Express

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Raw

17 patterns · 321 B

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

# ---- Express ----
# Express
node_modules/
npm-debug.log
.env
.env.local
logs/
*.log
pids/
*.pid
*.seed
*.pid.lock
lib-cov/
coverage/
.grunt
.lock-wscript
build/Release
.node_repl_history
.yarn-integrity

What this template ignores

Ignores node_modules, .env secrets, application log files, PID files, coverage reports, and npm debug logs.

Common additions

+uploads/ — user-uploaded files stored locally
+dist/ — if transpiling TypeScript

Commonly paired with

node typescript npm 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.
Where should I store session secrets?: In .env (never committed) or a secrets manager. Never hardcode secrets in application code.

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