# Posts

When .gitignore Doesnt Seem to Work: A Quick Fix October 2, 2024

As developers, we’ve all been there. You’ve added a file or folder to your `.gitignore`, but Git keeps tracking it anyway. What gives? Let’s dive into why this happens and how to fix it.

## The Problem

You’ve added a file or directory to your `.gitignore`, but Git still tracks it. You might be thinking, “Hey Git, I told you to ignore this!”

## Why It Happens

Here’s the catch: the `.gitignore` file only prevents untracked files from being added to the set of tracked files. It doesn’t magically remove files that are already being tracked by Git.