diff --git a/.changeset/shy-cars-know.md b/.changeset/shy-cars-know.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000..eee0e3ff5e42229c381b61cc12a6742ea3ecaa10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/shy-cars-know.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"create-llama": patch
+---
+
+Add node_modules to gitignore in Express backends
diff --git a/packages/create-llama/templates/types/simple/express/gitignore b/packages/create-llama/templates/types/simple/express/gitignore
index 15c3d3d576346a73d81d193ffc345f814cc291ca..7d5e30fc24e77107da0e35176a5c3caebe7f8862 100644
--- a/packages/create-llama/templates/types/simple/express/gitignore
+++ b/packages/create-llama/templates/types/simple/express/gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 # local env files
 .env
+node_modules/
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/create-llama/templates/types/streaming/express/gitignore b/packages/create-llama/templates/types/streaming/express/gitignore
index 15c3d3d576346a73d81d193ffc345f814cc291ca..7d5e30fc24e77107da0e35176a5c3caebe7f8862 100644
--- a/packages/create-llama/templates/types/streaming/express/gitignore
+++ b/packages/create-llama/templates/types/streaming/express/gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 # local env files
 .env
+node_modules/
\ No newline at end of file