# .nuxt

> Nuxt uses the .nuxt/ directory in development to generate your Vue application.

<important>

This directory should be added to your [`.gitignore`](/docs/4.x/directory-structure/gitignore) file to avoid pushing the dev build output to your repository.

</important>

This directory is interesting if you want to learn more about the files Nuxt generates based on your directory structure.

Nuxt also provides a Virtual File System (VFS) for modules to add templates to this directory without writing them to disk.

You can explore the generated files by opening the [Nuxt DevTools](https://devtools.nuxt.com) in development mode and navigating to the **Virtual Files** tab.

<warning>

You should not touch any files inside since the whole directory will be re-created when running [`nuxt dev`](/docs/4.x/api/commands/dev).

</warning>