How to Ignore 'node_modules' Folder in Git?

The node_modules folder is a directory where npm (Node Package Manager) installs all the dependencies for a Node.js project. Including this folder in your Git repository is unnecessary and can significantly bloat your repository size. Instead, you should ignore it using Git's .gitignore file. This article will guide you through the steps to properly ignore the node_modules folder in your Git repository.

Why Ignore node_modules?

1. Size: The node_modules folder can become very large, often containing thousands of files.
2. Redundancy: Dependencies are defined in package.json and can be installed using npm install, so they don't need to be tracked in version control.
3. Performance: Ignoring node_modules reduces the size of your repository, making cloning and fetching faster.

Using a .gitignore File

The .gitignore file tells Git which files or directories to ignore. Adding node_modules to this file ensures that the folder is not tracked by Git.

Syntax

node_modules/

Example: We will create a .gitignore file in the root of our project and add the node_modules entry to it.

Step 1: Create a .gitignore File

In the root of your project directory, create a file named .gitignore.

Step 2: Add node_modules Entry

Open the .gitignore file in a text editor and add the following line:

node_modules/

Step 3: Save and Close the File

Save the .gitignore file and close the text editor.

Before Ignoring node_modules

Step 1: Initialize Git Repository

git init

Step 2: Install Dependencies

npm install

Step 3: Check Git Status

git status

After Ignoring node_modules

Step 1: Add node_modules to .gitignore

node_modules/

Step 2: Check Git Status Again

git status