gitignore-workflow

name	gitignore-workflow
description	Create or update repository `.gitignore` rules, including pinned upstream template syncs. Use when changing ignored-file behavior or merging `github/gitignore` content.

Gitignore Workflow

Update ignore rules

1. Inspect the repository state and current .gitignore. Separate project-specific rules from template-derived blocks.

2. Preserve project-specific rules unless the user explicitly requests their removal. Avoid broad patterns that could hide source files; note that .gitignore does not untrack files already committed.

3. When syncing github/gitignore, use security-check and verify the repository, exact template path, and reviewed commit hash before fetching or copying. Stop and report a blocker when provenance or a safe network path cannot be verified.

4. Pin every copied template URL to its commit hash. Keep upstream blocks semantically unchanged, including intentional duplicates, and use a deterministic section order.

5. Use this pattern for each template:

   # <TemplateName>.gitignore
   # https://github.com/github/gitignore/blob/<commit-hash>/<TemplatePath>
   {template content}
   

6. Validate the resulting behavior with git status --short and report changes affecting .env, lockfiles, build artifacts, caches, or IDE folders.

Never put secrets or real environment values in comments. Keep agent-local directories explicit when needed, for example .agents/worktrees/ and .agents/references/.