Introduction

You don't want to waste your time by creating a .gitignore for your react apps all over again.

A properly configured .gitignore file will prevent unnecessary files and directories from in your Git repository.

This not only keeps your repository clean but also avoids issues when collaborating with other developers.

In this blog post, I will discuss common issues with .gitignore files in Next.js projects, and provide a comprehensive example for you to use in your applications.

My universal react/next .gitignore example

I'll get straight to the point and provide you with the .gitignore file that I use for all of my React apps. In a case you want to know more about it, read more below it.

So, here is it:

### NextJS ###
# Next build dir
.next/

### PhpStorm ###
# Covers JetBrains IDEs: IntelliJ, RubyMine, PhpStorm, AppCode, PyCharm, CLion, Android Studio, WebStorm and Rider
# Reference: https://intellij-support.jetbrains.com/hc/en-us/articles/206544839

# User-specific stuff
.idea

# CMake
cmake-build-*/
# File-based project format
*.iws

# IntelliJ
out/

# mpeltonen/sbt-idea plugin
.idea_modules/

# JIRA plugin
atlassian-ide-plugin.xml

# Cursive Clojure plugin
.idea/replstate.xml

# SonarLint plugin
.idea/sonarlint/

# Crashlytics plugin (for Android Studio and IntelliJ)
com_crashlytics_export_strings.xml
crashlytics.properties
crashlytics-build.properties
fabric.properties

# Editor-based Rest Client
.idea/httpRequests

# Android studio 3.1+ serialized cache file
.idea/caches/build_file_checksums.ser

### PhpStorm Patch ###
# Comment Reason: https://github.com/joeblau/gitignore.io/issues/186#issuecomment-215987721

# *.iml
# modules.xml
# .idea/misc.xml
# *.ipr

# Sonarlint plugin
# https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/7973-sonarlint
.idea/**/sonarlint/

# SonarQube Plugin
# https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/7238-sonarqube-community-plugin
.idea/**/sonarIssues.xml

# Markdown Navigator plugin
# https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/7896-markdown-navigator-enhanced
.idea/**/markdown-navigator.xml
.idea/**/markdown-navigator-enh.xml
.idea/**/markdown-navigator/

# Cache file creation bug
# See https://youtrack.jetbrains.com/issue/JBR-2257
.idea/$CACHE_FILE$

# CodeStream plugin
# https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/12206-codestream
.idea/codestream.xml

# Azure Toolkit for IntelliJ plugin
# https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/8053-azure-toolkit-for-intellij
.idea/**/azureSettings.xml

### react ###
.DS_*
*.log
logs
**/*.backup.*
**/*.back.*

node_modules
bower_components

*.sublime*

psd
thumb
sketch

By using this comprehensive .gitignore file, you can ensure that your React and Next.js projects remain clean and well-organized, and avoid common issues with Git repositories. Remember to tailor this file to your specific project needs, as each application may have different requirements for which files and directories should be ignored.

Issue - Next.js .gitignore Not Working

Sometimes, you may encounter issues with your .gitignore file not working as expected in your Next.js project. Git may not be recognizing the file, or certain patterns might not be ignored as intended. To resolve such issues, follow these troubleshooting steps:

1. Ensure the .gitignore file is in the correct location: The .gitignore file should be placed in the root directory of your project, where the .git directory is located. Placing the file elsewhere might lead to it not being recognized by Git.

2. Verify the contents of your .gitignore file: Double-check that your .gitignore file includes the correct patterns for the files and directories you want to ignore. For instance, if you want to ignore the node_modules directory, the .gitignore file should contain this line:

node_modules/

1. Check for hidden characters or encoding issues: Sometimes, hidden characters or incorrect file encoding can cause problems with .gitignore files. Open the file in a plain text editor, such as Notepad++ or Visual Studio Code, and ensure there are no unexpected characters or encoding issues.

Conclusion

As you keep growing and evolving your React and Next.js projects, don't forget to take a moment now and then to review and update your .gitignore file. This will help you stay on top of any new files or directories that ought to be excluded.

Remember, a well-organized project is a reflection of your dedication and attention to detail.