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.

Should I commit pom.xml?

Yes — pom.xml is the project definition and must always be committed.

.gitignore for Maven

Maven target directory and local repository cache.

Quick presets

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Maven

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Raw

10 patterns · 341 B

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

# ---- Maven ----
# Maven
target/
pom.xml.tag
pom.xml.releaseBackup
pom.xml.versionsBackup
pom.xml.next
release.properties
dependency-reduced-pom.xml
buildNumber.properties
.mvn/timing.properties
.mvn/wrapper/maven-wrapper.jar

What this template ignores

Ignores Maven target/ build output, release plugin backups, and Maven wrapper jar (if not committing it).

Common additions

+!.mvn/wrapper/maven-wrapper.jar — commit this for reproducible builds

Commonly paired with

java spring eclipse 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.
Should I commit pom.xml?: Yes — pom.xml is the project definition and must always be committed.

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