# Show HN: Git-temp – scratchpad folder for AI agents; doesn't clutter Git status

> Source: <https://github.com/sebmellen/git-temp>
> Published: 2026-06-28 02:48:04+00:00

Purpose: create a local AI scratchpad inside a Git repo without committing it.

`git-temp`

makes a `temp/`

folder, adds it to `.git/info/exclude`

, and keeps it visible to editors and AI tools. That means no noisy `git status`

, no accidental commits, and no `.gitignore`

rule that hides files from indexing or `@`

tagging.

```
npx git-temp            # creates temp/
npx git-temp notes      # creates notes/
npx git-temp status     # shows hidden scratchpad contents
npx git-temp clean -f   # empties and recreates temp/
npx git-temp integrate  # updates existing agent instruction files
```

`temp/scripts/`

for one-off scripts`temp/dumps/`

for JSON, CSV, logs, and payloads`temp/drafts/`

for notes and draft specs`temp/scratch/`

for experiments`temp/README.md`

explaining the folder to humans and AI agents

- Keep scratch work searchable and taggable by AI/editor tooling.
- Ignore scratch work locally through
`.git/info/exclude`

, not shared`.gitignore`

. - Avoid committing temporary files by accident.
- Remove blocking nested
`temp/.gitignore`

files that contain`*`

or`/*`

. - Stay zero-dependency and fast under
`npx`

.

```
git-temp [directory] [--integrate]
```

Creates the scratchpad, subfolders, README, and local exclude entry.

```
git-temp status [directory]
```

Shows file count, directory count, size, and modified times for files Git now hides.

```
git-temp clean [directory] [--force]
```

Deletes scratchpad contents, then recreates the standard structure.

```
git-temp integrate [directory]
```

Appends an AI scratchpad guideline to existing instruction files only:

`AGENTS.md`

`CLAUDE.md`

`.cursorrules`

`.windsurfrules`

`.github/copilot-instructions.md`

- Node.js 18+
- Git
- Run inside a Git repository