diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 8550737c3..28503713c 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,14 @@
+# Add patterns in here to exclude files created by tools integrated with this
+# repository, such as test frameworks from the project's recommended workflow,
+# rendered documentation and package builds.
+#
+# Don't add patterns to exclude files created by preferred personal tools
+# (editors, IDEs, your operating system itself even). These should instead be
+# maintained outside the repository, for example in a ~/.gitignore file added
+# with:
+#
+# git config --global core.excludesfile '~/.gitignore'
+
 pkg/
 Gemfile.lock
 vendor/
@@ -6,7 +17,6 @@ spec/fixtures/
 .bundle/
 coverage/
 .idea/
-*.swp
 *.iml
 /openstack
 /log