diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ad195c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+
+# Local build and cache artifacts
+backend/app/__pycache__/
+frontend/dist/triage-app-standalone.html
+frontend/node_modules/