.gitattributes Generator

Create a ready-to-use .gitattributes file by picking a line-ending normalization strategy, selecting the languages, frameworks and binary file types your project uses from searchable multi-select lists, and adding merge-strategy overrides for lock files and changelogs. The generator merges every choice into one clean, de-duplicated file.

What is a .gitattributes file?

A .gitattributes file tells Git how to treat specific paths — whether a file is text or binary, which line ending it should normalize to, which diff driver to use, and how conflicting changes should merge. It fixes the classic "every file shows as changed" problem caused by mixed CRLF/LF line endings across Windows, macOS and Linux contributors, and keeps binary assets (images, fonts, archives) out of noisy text diffs.

How to use this generator

1. Choose a global line-ending rule — text=auto normalizes line endings on commit while leaving checkout untouched, or force a specific checkout ending with eol=lf/eol=crlf.
2. Select every language and framework your project uses from the multi-select list — the output updates instantly.
3. Select binary file groups (images, fonts, archives, documents & media) so Git never tries to diff or merge them as text.
4. Add merge-strategy overrides (e.g. union merge for CHANGELOG.md) where two branches' changes should combine rather than conflict.
5. Paste any project-specific rules into the Custom Rules box, one per line.
6. Copy the result or download it directly as .gitattributes into the root of your repository.

How the merge works

Each selected preset is written under its own # Name header, and rules are de-duplicated globally: if two presets declare the exact same line, it's kept only once, under the first preset to declare it. That means combining a language, a lock-file rule and a binary group never produces a file full of repeated lines.

Why do lock files get -diff -merge?

Lock files like package-lock.json, yarn.lock and Cargo.lock are generated and can be huge — diffing or attempting a text merge on them is slow and rarely useful. -diff hides them from git diff/git show, and -merge forces a straight conflict instead of a garbled auto-merge, so you always regenerate the lock file after resolving.

Where does the .gitattributes file go?

Place it in the top-level directory of your Git repository, same as .gitignore. Rules apply to that folder and all subfolders; add nested .gitattributes files for directory-specific overrides.

Do existing files need to be re-normalized?

Adding a line-ending rule only affects files as Git re-reads them. Run git add --renormalize . once after adding .gitattributes to apply the new rules to already-tracked files, then commit the result.

Is this private?

Yes. Everything runs entirely in your browser — your selections and custom rules are never uploaded to a server.

For the companion file that also matters for consistent line endings and indentation, see the EditorConfig Generator. To generate the file that keeps generated artifacts out of your repo entirely, use the Gitignore Generator. Need to convert line endings in files you already have, rather than declare a rule for future ones? Try the CRLF/LF Line Ending Converter.