Ignoring files in Git with .gitignore prevents unwanted files from being tracked, keeping your repository clean and avoiding sensitive data or build artifacts in version control. As the creator of CoreUI with 25 years of development experience since 2000, I’ve configured .gitignore files in countless projects to maintain clean repositories and prevent security issues with sensitive files. The most effective approach involves creating a .gitignore file in your repository root with patterns that match files and directories you want to exclude from Git tracking. This method ensures consistent ignore behavior across all contributors while maintaining repository cleanliness and security best practices.