diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..694c93182
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+# Ignore build directories
+build
+debug
+cmake-build-debug
+
+# Ignore CLion IDE project files
+.idea
+
+# Generated data files
+*.dat
+
+# Temporal files
+*~
+
+# Internal development
+matlab
+mex
+cmake/modules/BuildMex.cmake
+cmake/modules/FindMATLAB.cmake
+cmake/modules/FindOCTAVE.cmake
+