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 ignore package-lock.json?

No — package-lock.json should be committed to lock dependency versions. This template lists it as a reminder but you should remove that line.

.gitignore for npm

npm debug logs and package lock conflicts.

Quick presets

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npm

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4 patterns · 186 B

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

# ---- npm ----
# npm
node_modules/
npm-debug.log*
.npm
package-lock.json

What this template ignores

Ignores node_modules/, npm debug logs, and the npm cache directory.

Commonly paired with

node yarn pnpm 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 ignore package-lock.json?: No — package-lock.json should be committed to lock dependency versions. This template lists it as a reminder but you should remove that line.

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