diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 3c676aaf..25650406 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -9,10 +9,9 @@ __pycache__/
 
 # Virtual Environment
 .venv/
+env/
 venv/
-
-# Enviroment Variable Files
-.env
+*.env*
 
 # Build / Distribution
 dist/
@@ -46,13 +45,12 @@ neo4jWorkDir/
 
 # Data & Storage
 inputs/
-output/
 rag_storage/
+examples/input/
+examples/output/
+output*/
 data/
 
-# Evaluation results
-lightrag/evaluation/results/
-
 # Miscellaneous
 .DS_Store
 TODO.md
@@ -60,17 +58,18 @@ ignore_this.txt
 *.ignore.*
 
 # Project-specific files
-/dickens*/
-/book.txt
+dickens*/
+book.txt
+LightRAG.pdf
 download_models_hf.py
+lightrag-dev/
+gui/
 
 # Frontend build output (built during PyPI release)
-/lightrag/api/webui/
+lightrag/api/webui/
 
-# temporary test files in project root
-/test_*
+# unit-test files
+test_*
 
 # Cline files
-memory-bank
-.claude/CLAUDE.md
-.claude/
+memory-bank/
diff --git a/lightrag_webui/vite.config.ts b/lightrag_webui/vite.config.ts
index c89c34b4..cbc601e6 100644
--- a/lightrag_webui/vite.config.ts
+++ b/lightrag_webui/vite.config.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,30 @@
 import { defineConfig } from 'vite'
 import path from 'path'
+import { existsSync, mkdirSync } from 'fs'
 import { webuiPrefix } from '@/lib/constants'
 import react from '@vitejs/plugin-react-swc'
 import tailwindcss from '@tailwindcss/vite'
 
+const ensureWebuiDir = () => ({
+  name: 'ensure-webui-dir',
+  apply: 'build' as const,
+  buildStart() {
+    const outDir = path.resolve(__dirname, '../lightrag/api/webui')
+    if (!existsSync(outDir)) {
+      mkdirSync(outDir, { recursive: true })
+    }
+  },
+  closeBundle() {
+    const outDir = path.resolve(__dirname, '../lightrag/api/webui')
+    if (!existsSync(outDir)) {
+      mkdirSync(outDir, { recursive: true })
+    }
+  }
+})
+
 // https://vite.dev/config/
 export default defineConfig({
-  plugins: [react(), tailwindcss()],
+  plugins: [react(), tailwindcss(), ensureWebuiDir()],
   resolve: {
     alias: {
       '@': path.resolve(__dirname, './src')