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.

.gitignore for macOS + Node.js + React

Complete .gitignore for macOS developers building React apps with Node.js.

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Selected (3)

macOSNodeReact

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40 patterns · 764 B

# Generated by DevZone Tools — https://devzone.tools/tools/gitignore-generator
# Templates: macOS, Node, React
# 2026-04-20

# ---- macOS ----
# macOS
.DS_Store
.AppleDouble
.LSOverride
Icon
._*
.DocumentRevisions-V100
.fseventsd
.Spotlight-V100
.TemporaryItems
.Trashes
.VolumeIcon.icns
.com.apple.timemachine.donotpresent
.AppleDB
.AppleDesktop
Network Trash Folder
Temporary Items
.apdisk

# ---- Node ----
# Node
node_modules/
npm-debug.log*
yarn-debug.log*
yarn-error.log*
pnpm-debug.log*
.pnpm-debug.log*
.npm
.yarn/cache
.yarn/unplugged
.yarn/build-state.yml
.yarn/install-state.gz
.pnp.*
lerna-debug.log*
.env
.env.local
.env.development.local
.env.test.local
.env.production.local
dist/
build/
.cache/
*.tsbuildinfo

# ---- React ----
# React
coverage/

Why use macOS + Node.js + React together?

This is one of the most common development stacks on macOS. Adding the macOS template ensures .DS_Store files (created in every folder by Finder) and Spotlight metadata never pollute the repo.

The order matters: macOS patterns appear first so .DS_Store and .AppleDouble are covered before Node and React patterns. This three-template combination produces a clean, comprehensive .gitignore for the typical frontend developer workflow on macOS.

Related combinations

macos-nextjs-node macos-node-react-visualstudiocode

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.
Why combine macOS and Node and React?: This is one of the most common development stacks on macOS. Adding the macOS template ensures .DS_Store files (created in every folder by Finder) and Spotlight metadata never pollute the repo.

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