diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 816fcb1..537608d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -137,3 +137,6 @@ GerbilManagerWebAPI/photo-storage/
 
 # AR-3: Data Protection key ring (dev-only ephemeral keys) — never commit
 GerbilManagerWebAPI/.data-protection-keys/
+
+# node_modules — never commit, installed locally per npm install
+node_modules/