.gitignore for Vim
12 ignore rules for Vim, ready to copy into your repository.
Highly configurable text editor
The complete .gitignore for Vim
# Generated by LFGitignore - https://lfgitignore.com
# Created: 2026-08-05 01:27:29 UTC
# Technologies: Vim
### Vim ###
# Vim swap files pattern
[._]*.s[a-v][a-z]
!*.svg
# Vim swap files pattern
[._]*.sw[a-p]
# Vim swap variant
[._]s[a-rt-v][a-z]
# Vim session files
[._]ss[a-gi-z]
# Vim swap pattern
[._]sw[a-p]
# Vim session file
Session.vim
# Vim extra session file
Sessionx.vim
# Vim netrw history
.netrwhist
# Emacs backup files
*~
# Vim tags file
tags
[._]*.un~
What these Vim rules actually ignore
Every pattern below, and why it belongs in your .gitignore.
Swap
| Pattern | What it ignores |
|---|---|
[._]*.s[a-v][a-z] |
Vim swap files pattern |
!*.svg |
comment out the next line if you don't need vector files |
[._]*.sw[a-p] |
Vim swap files pattern |
[._]s[a-rt-v][a-z] |
Vim swap variant |
[._]ss[a-gi-z] |
Vim session files |
[._]sw[a-p] |
Vim swap pattern |
Session
| Pattern | What it ignores |
|---|---|
Session.vim |
Vim session file |
Sessionx.vim |
Vim extra session file |
Temporary
| Pattern | What it ignores |
|---|---|
.netrwhist |
Vim netrw history |
*~ |
Emacs backup files |
Auto-generated tag files
| Pattern | What it ignores |
|---|---|
tags |
Vim tags file |
Persistent undo
| Pattern | What it ignores |
|---|---|
[._]*.un~ |
Persistent undo |
How to use this .gitignore for Vim
- Copy the Vim 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.