.gitignore for ExpressionEngine
13 ignore rules for ExpressionEngine, ready to copy into your repository.
Content management system
The complete .gitignore for ExpressionEngine
# Generated by LFGitignore - https://lfgitignore.com
# Created: 2026-08-05 01:27:14 UTC
# Technologies: ExpressionEngine
### ExpressionEngine ###
# macOS folder settings (Desktop Services Store)
.DS_Store
images/avatars/
images/captchas/
images/smileys/
images/member_photos/
images/signature_attachments/
images/pm_attachments/
system/expressionengine/config/database.php
system/expressionengine/config/config.php
sized/
thumbs/
_thumbs/
*/expressionengine/cache/*
What these ExpressionEngine rules actually ignore
Every pattern below, and why it belongs in your .gitignore.
General
| Pattern | What it ignores |
|---|---|
.DS_Store |
macOS folder settings (Desktop Services Store) |
Images
| Pattern | What it ignores |
|---|---|
images/avatars/ |
Images |
images/captchas/ |
Images |
images/smileys/ |
Images |
images/member_photos/ |
Images |
images/signature_attachments/ |
Images |
images/pm_attachments/ |
Images |
For security do not publish the following files
| Pattern | What it ignores |
|---|---|
system/expressionengine/config/database.php |
For security do not publish the following files |
system/expressionengine/config/config.php |
For security do not publish the following files |
Caches
| Pattern | What it ignores |
|---|---|
sized/ |
Caches |
thumbs/ |
Caches |
_thumbs/ |
Caches |
*/expressionengine/cache/* |
Caches |
How to use this .gitignore for ExpressionEngine
- Copy the ExpressionEngine rules above, or download the file directly.
- Create a file named .gitignore at the root of your Git repository and paste the rules into it.
- If some of those files are already tracked, run git rm -r --cached . then commit again — Git only applies ignore rules to untracked files.
- Commit the .gitignore so everyone on the team shares the same rules.