diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index f6f9dfa..1d020aa 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'
+
 .bundled_gems/
 default-config.yaml
 puppet-whazz/
diff --git a/puppet-{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/.gitignore b/puppet-{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/.gitignore
index 6b254e3..149bf57 100644
--- a/puppet-{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/.gitignore
+++ b/puppet-{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/.gitignore
@@ -1,7 +1,17 @@
+# 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'
+
 Gemfile.lock
 spec/fixtures/modules/*
 spec/fixtures/manifests/site.pp
-*.swp
 pkg
 vendor/
 /openstack/