When working on a Node.js project, the node_modules folder can grow extremely large — often with thousands of files. Including it in your Git repository is not recommended. Instead, it should be excluded using a .gitignore file.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through the why and how of ignoring node_modules in Git using .gitignore.
🚫 Why You Should Ignore node_modules
The node_modules directory contains all your project’s dependencies, downloaded via npm or yarn. It should be excluded from Git for several reasons:
- Size: The folder is large and can bloat your repository.
- Reproducibility: Dependencies should be restored using
package.jsonandpackage-lock.json(oryarn.lock). - Best Practice: Ignoring
node_modulesis standard in nearly all professional Node.js projects.
✅ Step-by-Step: How to Add node_modules to .gitignore
1. Open Your Project Directory
Open your project folder in a code editor like VS Code or via the terminal.
2. Open or Create a .gitignore File
In the root directory of your project:
- If
.gitignoreexists, open it. - If not, create one:
touch .gitignore
3. Add node_modules to the File
Inside .gitignore, add the following line:
node_modules/
This tells Git to ignore the entire
node_modulesdirectory.
4. Remove node_modules from Git Tracking (If Already Tracked)
If node_modules was added to Git before updating .gitignore, remove it from tracking:
git rm -r --cached node_modules
Then commit the changes:
git commit -m "Ignore node_modules folder"
5. Verify It’s Ignored
You can verify it’s being ignored by running:
git status
You should no longer see node_modules in the list of tracked files.
🧠 Pro Tip: Use a Standard .gitignore Template
GitHub maintains language-specific .gitignore templates:
You can use this as a baseline for your project.
🏁 Conclusion
Adding node_modules to .gitignore is essential for maintaining a clean and efficient Git workflow in Node.js projects. It keeps your repository lean and focused on code — not bulky dependencies.
