diff --git a/copier.yml b/copier.yml
index 2a5abf1..e96aa60 100644
--- a/copier.yml
+++ b/copier.yml
@@ -101,6 +101,12 @@ apt_packages:
         build via apt-get on a Linux system.
     default: "libsndfile1,"
 
+gitignore_custom:
+    type: str
+    help: |
+        Enter a comma-separated list of files, directories, or file patterns for the .gitignore file. 
+    default: "your/custom/path/,"
+
 valid_python_versions:
   when: false
   type: yaml
diff --git a/template/.gitignore.jinja b/template/.gitignore.jinja
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d68ec4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/template/.gitignore.jinja
@@ -0,0 +1,131 @@
+# Byte-compiled / optimized / DLL files
+__pycache__/
+*.py[cod]
+*$py.class
+
+# C extensions
+*.so
+
+# Distribution / packaging
+.Python
+build/
+develop-eggs/
+dist/
+downloads/
+eggs/
+.eggs/
+lib/
+lib64/
+parts/
+sdist/
+var/
+wheels/
+*.egg-info/
+.installed.cfg
+*.egg
+MANIFEST
+
+# PyInstaller
+#  Usually these files are written by a python script from a template
+#  before PyInstaller builds the exe, so as to inject date/other infos into it.
+*.manifest
+*.spec
+
+# Installer logs
+pip-log.txt
+pip-delete-this-directory.txt
+
+# Unit test / coverage reports
+htmlcov/
+.coverage
+.coverage.*
+.cache
+nosetests.xml
+coverage.xml
+*.cover
+.hypothesis/
+.pytest_cache/
+
+# Translations
+*.mo
+*.pot
+
+# Django stuff:
+*.log
+local_settings.py
+db.sqlite3
+
+# Flask stuff:
+instance/
+.webassets-cache
+
+# Scrapy stuff:
+.scrapy
+
+# Sphinx documentation
+docs/_build/
+docs/_autosummary
+
+# PyBuilder
+target/
+
+# Jupyter Notebook
+.ipynb_checkpoints
+*/.ipynb_checkpoints/*
+
+# pyenv
+.python-version
+
+# celery beat schedule file
+celerybeat-schedule
+
+# SageMath parsed files
+*.sage.py
+
+# Environments
+.env
+.venv
+env/
+venv/
+ENV/
+env.bak/
+venv.bak/
+
+# Spyder project settings
+.spyderproject
+.spyproject
+
+# Rope project settings
+.ropeproject
+
+# mkdocs documentation
+/site
+
+# mypy
+.mypy_cache/
+
+# vs code
+.vscode/
+.idea/
+
+# macOS
+.DS_Store
+
+# workaround for failing test discovery in vscode
+tests/*/__init__.py
+tests/private/
+
+# ignore downloads from pyfar gallery
+docs/header.rst
+docs/_static/favicon.ico
+docs/_static/header.rst
+docs/_static/css/custom.css
+docs/_static/js/custom.js
+docs/resources/logos/pyfar_logos_fixed_size_pyfar.png
+docs/{{ logo_path_gallery }}
+
+# custom 
+{{ pypi_license_classifier }}
+{%- for key in gitignore_custom.split(',') %}
+{{ key.strip() }}
+{%- endfor %}
diff --git a/tests/test_copier.py b/tests/test_copier.py
index 98f3b11..4537084 100644
--- a/tests/test_copier.py
+++ b/tests/test_copier.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ def test_project_folder(default_project):
     ".readthedocs.yml",
     ".copier-answers.yml",
     ".editorconfig",
+    ".gitignore",
 ])
 def test_generated_file_exists(default_project, file_name):
     assert default_project.project_dir.joinpath(file_name).exists()
@@ -171,3 +172,12 @@ def test_content_readthedocs(default_project, desired):
     content = default_project.project_dir.joinpath(
                                     ".readthedocs.yml").read_text()
     assert desired in content
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("desired", [
+    'docs/resources/logos/pyfar_logos_fixed_size_my_project.png',
+    'your/custom/path/',
+])
+def test_content_gitignore(default_project, desired):
+    content = default_project.project_dir.joinpath(
+                                    ".gitignore").read_text()
+    assert desired in content