Right-click any file or folder in the Explorer to add it to .gitignore — next to the file, or at the root of your workspace.
Features
Context menu actions — two options on every right-click in the Explorer: add to local or global .gitignore
Local .gitignore — writes to a .gitignore in the same folder as the selected item (creates it if it doesn't exist)
Global .gitignore — writes to the .gitignore at the root of your workspace folder (creates it if it doesn't exist)
Smart patterns — anchored patterns (/path/to/item) so only the item you clicked is ignored; folders get a trailing slash (/dirname/)
Duplicate protection — won't add a pattern that already exists in the file
Instant feedback — opens the resulting .gitignore file in the editor after writing so you can review or edit
Screenshots
Right-click any file or folder in the Explorer and choose either:
Option
What it does
Quick Ignore: Add to local .gitignore
Appends a pattern to a .gitignore in the same folder as the selected item. Creates the file if it doesn't exist.
Quick Ignore: Add to global .gitignore
Appends a pattern to the .gitignore at your workspace root. Creates the file if it doesn't exist.
Usage
Install the extension from the VS Code Marketplace
Right-click any file or folder in the Explorer sidebar
Choose Add to local .gitignore or Add to global .gitignore
The pattern is appended and the .gitignore file opens for review
That's it — no configuration needed.
Requirements
VS Code 1.104 or newer
Commands
Command
Title
quickIgnore.addToLocalGitignore
Quick Ignore: Add to local .gitignore
quickIgnore.addToGlobalGitignore
Quick Ignore: Add to global .gitignore
Both commands are available in the Explorer context menu for any file or folder.
How patterns work
Patterns are anchored with a leading / so they match only the item you clicked, not same-named files elsewhere in the tree.
Local — the pattern is the item's name relative to its own folder (e.g., /output.js, /build/)
Global — the pattern is the item's path relative to the workspace root (e.g., /src/build/output.js)
Folders — get a trailing slash (e.g., /dist/) so the directory and its contents are ignored
Development
npm install
npm run compile # one-shot bundle to dist/extension.js
npm run watch # incremental rebuild
npm run package:vsix # produce a .vsix to install locally
Press F5 in VS Code to launch an Extension Development Host with the extension active.
