How to Make Git Forget a Tracked File in .gitignore

To make Git forget about a file that was previously tracked but is now in .gitignore, you need to remove it from Git’s index using git rm --cached <filename> and then commit this change. This command removes the file from Git’s tracking system while keeping it in your local working directory, allowing .gitignore to properly ignore it going forward.

• Understanding the Problem
• The Solution: Using git rm --cached
• Step-by-Step Implementation
• Handling Directories
• Common Pitfalls and Best Practices
• Alternative Approaches
• Verification and Troubleshooting

Understanding the Problem

When you add a file to .gitignore after it’s already been tracked by Git, it continues to appear in git status and can still be committed. This happens because .gitignore only prevents untracked files from being added to Git’s tracking system - it doesn’t affect files that are already being tracked.

As DesignGurus.io explains, “However, .gitignore only affects untracked files. If a file is already tracked, adding it to .gitignore does not stop Git from tracking it.”

The file will remain in your Git history and continue to show up in status checks until you explicitly remove it from Git’s tracking system. This is a common scenario when developers set up a new repository without proper .gitignore configuration from the start.

The Solution: Using git rm --cached

The core solution is to use the git rm --cached command. This command removes a file from Git’s index (staging area) while keeping it in your working directory, effectively “untracking” it so that .gitignore can then do its job.

According to Baeldung on Ops, the basic syntax is:

git rm --cached <filename>
git commit -m "<Message>"

The --cached flag is crucial here - it tells Git to remove the file from the index but not from your filesystem. This means you’ll still have the file locally, but Git will stop tracking it.

As Tim Mouskhelichvili notes, “The git rm command deletes the file from the working area. To revert the git rm --cached command, you can use git reset HEAD.”

Step-by-Step Implementation

Here’s the complete process to make Git forget about a tracked file that’s now in .gitignore:

1. Verify the file is being tracked

First, check that the file is indeed being tracked by Git:

git status

You should see the file listed under “Changes not staged for commit” or similar.

2. Ensure the file is in .gitignore

Make sure the file or pattern is properly added to your .gitignore file:

# Example for a specific file
config/local.ini

# Example for a directory
logs/

3. Remove from Git’s index

Use git rm --cached to remove the file from Git’s tracking:

git rm --cached filename.txt

If you want to remove multiple files at once:

git rm --cached file1.txt file2.txt config/

4. Commit the change

Commit the removal to make it permanent in the repository:

git commit -m "Remove filename.txt from Git tracking, now handled by .gitignore"

5. Verify the result

Check git status again - the file should no longer appear as being tracked:

git status

As mentioned in the Atlassian Git Tutorial, this process effectively makes Git “forget” about the file while keeping it in your local working directory.

Handling Directories

When you need to remove an entire directory from Git tracking, you need to use the -r (recursive) flag with git rm --cached:

git rm -r --cached logs/

This will remove all files within the directory from Git’s tracking system. According to Nion Maron, this is useful when you’ve mistakenly committed a directory like logs/ that contains debugging logs.

For example:

# Remove a directory and all its contents from Git tracking
git rm -r --cached logs/

# Update .gitignore to prevent future tracking
echo "logs/" >> .gitignore

# Commit the changes
git commit -m "Remove logs/ directory from Git tracking"

Important: Be careful with recursive removals - make sure you understand what will be removed before executing the command.

Common Pitfalls and Best Practices

Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Forgetting to commit: If you run git rm --cached but forget to commit, the change will be lost if you switch branches or reset.

2. Using git rm without --cached: This will delete the file from both your Git repository and your filesystem, which is usually not what you want.

3. Inconsistent .gitignore patterns: Make sure your .gitignore patterns are specific enough to match the files you want to ignore.

Best Practices

1. Test your .gitignore patterns: Use git check-ignore -v filename to verify if a file is being ignored correctly.

2. Communicate changes: When removing files from Git tracking, make sure your team members are aware of the change and understand they need to update their local repositories.

3. Use descriptive commit messages: Clearly explain what you’re removing from tracking and why.

4. Consider the impact: Remember that this change will affect all collaborators when they pull the latest changes.

As GitBetter Substack notes, “Note that this change will affect other collaborators as well when they take a pull.”

Alternative Approaches

Method 1: Using git filter-branch (For History Cleanup)

If you want to completely remove the file from Git’s history (not just from future tracking), you can use git filter-branch:

git filter-branch --index-filter 'git rm --cached --ignore-unmatch filename.txt' HEAD

This is a more aggressive approach that actually removes the file from all commits in your history.

Warning: This rewrites Git history and should be used with caution, especially in shared repositories.

Method 2: Interactive Reset

For a more surgical approach, you can use interactive reset:

git reset --soft HEAD~1
git rm --cached filename.txt
git add .gitignore
git commit -m "Remove filename.txt from tracking"

This allows you to unstage the file without losing recent work.

Verification and Troubleshooting

Verifying the Solution

After removing the file from Git tracking, verify that:

1. The file no longer appears in git status
2. The file is properly ignored by checking with git check-ignore filename
3. The file remains in your working directory

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue: File still appears in git status

• Solution: Double-check that you used git rm --cached and committed the change
• Solution: Verify the file isn’t already committed in HEAD

Issue: File was deleted from filesystem

• Solution: You likely used git rm without --cached
• Solution: Restore the file from backup or recreate it

Issue: Directory not being ignored

• Solution: Use git rm -r --cached directory/
• Solution: Ensure your .gitignore pattern ends with / for directories

As Fjolt explains, “When we track a file in git, it can sometimes get cached and remain tracked, even if we add it to our .gitignore file. This is simply because .gitignore prevents files from being added to Git’s tracking system, but it will not actively remove those that are already tracked.”

Sources

1. How do I make Git forget about a file that was tracked, but is now in .gitignore? - Stack Overflow
2. How do I make Git forget about a file that was tracked, but is now in .gitignore? - DesignGurus.io
3. How to make git forget a tracked file that is in gitignore - GitBetter Substack
4. Making Git Forget About a Tracked File in .gitignore - Medium
5. How to Make Git Forget Tracked Files Now In gitignore - Ardalis
6. How to Make Git Forget About a Tracked File Which is Now in .gitignore - W3Docs
7. How to make Git forget a tracked file now in .gitignore - Fjolt
8. Removing Tracked Files With .gitignore - Baeldung on Ops
9. Git - git-rm Documentation
10. How Does The git rm cached Command Work? – Tim Mouskhelichvili

Conclusion

To make Git forget about a file that was previously tracked but is now in .gitignore, follow these key steps:

1. Use git rm --cached <filename> to remove the file from Git’s index while keeping it in your working directory
2. Commit the change with a descriptive message to make it permanent in the repository
3. Verify with git status that the file no longer appears as being tracked
4. Ensure your .gitignore pattern is correct to prevent future tracking

Remember that .gitignore only works on untracked files, so you must first remove existing tracked files from Git’s index. The --cached flag is crucial here - it tells Git to remove the file from tracking but not from your filesystem.

This approach ensures that the file remains on your local machine for development use while being properly ignored by Git for future commits and shared with your team through the committed change.