Gitignore vs Gitkeep: Key Differences Explained

The .gitignore and .gitkeep files serve fundamentally different purposes in Git repositories. While .gitignore is an official Git mechanism for excluding specific files and directories from version control, .gitkeep is merely a community convention used to preserve empty directory structures. These files are not interchangeable - .gitignore prevents files from being tracked, while .gitkeep allows empty directories to be included in version control despite Git’s default behavior of ignoring them.

Contents

• What is .gitignore and How It Works
• Understanding .gitkeep Files
• Key Differences Between the Two Files
• When to Use Each File Type
• Common Use Cases and Examples
• Best Practices
• FAQ About Git Ignore Files

What is .gitignore and How It Works

The .gitignore file is a standard, officially supported feature of Git that allows you to specify intentionally untracked files that Git should ignore. When you create a .gitignore file in your repository, Git uses its rules to determine which files and directories should be excluded from version control.

How .gitignore Functions

The .gitignore file works by matching patterns against file and directory names. These patterns can include:

• # - Comments (lines starting with # are ignored)
• * - Wildcard matching any sequence of characters
• ? - Single character wildcard
• [] - Character class
• ** - Recursive directory matching
• / - Directory separator
• ! - Negation pattern

According to the official Git documentation, the .gitignore mechanism is part of Git’s core functionality and is processed every time Git looks for untracked files.

Common .gitignore Patterns

# Ignore all .log files
*.log

# Ignore build directory
/build/

# Ignore specific file
secret-config.json

# Ignore only at root level
/file.txt

# Don't ignore the file.txt in the root
!/file.txt

# Ignore everything in vendor except vendor/.gitkeep
vendor/*
!vendor/.gitkeep

Understanding .gitkeep Files

The .gitkeep file is not a standard Git file or command. It’s a naming convention created by developers to solve a specific problem: Git doesn’t track empty directories. When a directory contains no files, Git ignores it completely, even if you explicitly add it to version control.

The Problem .gitkeep Solves

As Atlassian Git tutorial explains, Git tracks files and their content, but it doesn’t track directories themselves. This means that if you have an empty directory in your repository, Git will ignore it and the directory won’t exist in other developers’ clones.

How .gitkeep Works

A .gitkeep file is simply an empty file (or sometimes a minimal placeholder file) that you place in a directory you want to preserve. Because the directory now contains a file (even an empty one), Git will track it. The file itself is completely ignored - it serves no other purpose than to act as a placeholder.

Important note: The name .gitkeep is purely a convention. You could name it .placeholder, .keep, or anything else. However, .gitkeep has become the de facto standard due to its clear descriptive nature and wide adoption in the developer community.

Key Differences Between the Two Files

The fundamental differences between .gitignore and .gitkeep are substantial:

Functional Differences

The .gitignore file actively tells Git which files to ignore through pattern matching. It’s processed by Git’s internal logic to determine what should be excluded from version control.

In contrast, .gitkeep doesn’t contain any special instructions. It’s just a regular file that happens to be in a directory. Git tracks the file because it exists, and the directory gets preserved because it contains at least one file.

Scope and Application

.gitignore files can be placed at any level in the repository hierarchy and affect files throughout the repository. They can also be scoped to specific directories.

.gitkeep files are always placed within specific directories and only affect the directory they’re in. Each empty directory you want to preserve needs its own .gitkeep file.

When to Use Each File Type

Use .gitignore When:

• You want to exclude build artifacts, logs, or temporary files
• You need to prevent sensitive configuration files from being committed
• You want to ignore editor-specific files (.vscode/, .idea/, etc.)
• You need to exclude generated documentation or compiled code
• You want to set up repository-wide ignore rules

Use .gitkeep When:

• You want to preserve directory structure for future use
• You need to create placeholder directories for modules that don’t exist yet
• You want to ensure consistent directory structure across team members
• You’re working on a project where empty directories are semantically important
• You need to maintain directory permissions or ownership

Common Use Cases and Examples

.gitignore Use Cases

Node.js Project:

# Dependencies
node_modules/

# Build output
dist/
build/

# Environment variables
.env
.env.local

# IDE files
.vscode/
.idea/

# OS generated files
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db

Python Project:

# Virtual environments
venv/
env/

# Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files
__pycache__/
*.py[cod]
*$py.class

# Distribution / packaging
.Python
build/
develop-eggs/
dist/
downloads/
eggs/
.eggs/
lib/
lib64/
parts/
sdist/
var/
wheels/
*.egg-info/
.installed.cfg
*.egg

.gitkeep Use Cases

Empty Directories for Future Modules:

src/
├── components/
│   ├── ui/
│   │   └── .gitkeep
│   └── forms/
│       └── .gitkeep
├── services/
│   └── .gitkeep
└── utils/
    └── .gitkeep

Database Schema Directories:

database/
├── migrations/
│   └── .gitkeep
├── seeds/
│   └── .gitkeep
└── fixtures/
    └── .gitkeep

Template or Configuration Directories:

config/
├── templates/
│   └── .gitkeep
└── examples/
    └── .gitkeep

Best Practices

.gitignore Best Practices

1. Create .gitignore early: Add it to your repository from the beginning
2. Be specific: Use precise patterns rather than overly broad ones
3. Document exceptions: Use ! patterns when you need to include specific files
4. Use scoped .gitignore files: Create .gitignore files in subdirectories when needed
5. Share .gitignore files: Use templates for common project types

.gitkeep Best Practices

1. Keep it simple: .gitkeep files should be empty or contain minimal content
2. Document the purpose: Add comments explaining why the directory needs preserving
3. Use consistently: Apply the same pattern throughout your codebase
4. Consider alternatives: Sometimes README files or documentation can serve the same purpose
5. Don’t overuse: Only use .gitkeep for directories that genuinely need to be preserved

FAQ About Git Ignore Files

Is .gitkeep an official Git feature?

No, .gitkeep is not an official Git feature. It’s purely a community convention. Git has no special handling for .gitkeep files - they’re treated like any other file in the repository.

Can I use different names instead of .gitkeep?

Yes, you can name the file anything you want. Common alternatives include .keep, .placeholder, or even .gitdir. However, .gitkeep has become the de facto standard due to its clear descriptive nature.

Does Git have a built-in solution for empty directories?

No, Git doesn’t have a built-in mechanism for tracking empty directories. The .gitkeep convention is the most widely adopted workaround for this limitation.

Can I use both .gitignore and .gitkeep in the same repository?

Absolutely. These files serve different purposes and can be used together without conflict. In fact, many projects use both to handle different aspects of repository organization.

Should I commit .gitkeep files to the repository?

Yes, .gitkeep files should be committed to the repository. Their purpose is to ensure that all developers have the same directory structure, including empty directories that are important for the project’s organization.

Sources

1. Official Git Documentation - gitignore
2. Atlassian Git Tutorial - Ignoring Files
3. GitHub Documentation - Ignoring Files
4. Pro Git Book - Git Basics
5. Stack Overflow - What is the purpose of .gitkeep files?

Conclusion

The .gitignore and .gitkeep files serve distinct but complementary roles in Git repository management. While .gitignore is an official Git feature for excluding files from version control through pattern matching, .gitkeep is a community convention that solves the specific problem of preserving empty directories.

When working with Git repositories, remember that:

• Use .gitignore to exclude files, directories, or file patterns from being tracked
• Use .gitkeep to preserve empty directory structures that are important for your project’s organization
• These files can be used together without conflict and often complement each other
• .gitkeep is not an official Git feature but a widely adopted convention in the developer community

Understanding the differences between these files will help you better manage your Git repositories and maintain clean, organized project structures that work consistently across development teams.