diff --git a/.eslintrc.js b/.eslintrc.js
index 11ee4479..0c65d1f5 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.js
+++ b/.eslintrc.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ const localConfigs = readdir(__dirname)
 module.exports = {
   root: true,
   ignorePatterns: [
+    'tap-testdir*/',
     'workspace/test-workspace/**',
   ],
   extends: [
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 135c3883..411ec4df 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 # ignore everything in the root
 /*
+# transient test directories
+tap-testdir*/
 
 # keep these
 !**/.gitignore
diff --git a/lib/content/eslintrc.js b/lib/content/eslintrc.js
index 8ee511c7..96996354 100644
--- a/lib/content/eslintrc.js
+++ b/lib/content/eslintrc.js
@@ -8,13 +8,12 @@ const localConfigs = readdir(__dirname)
 
 module.exports = {
   root: true,
-  {{#if workspaceGlobs}}
   ignorePatterns: [
+    'tap-testdir*/',
     {{#each workspaceGlobs}}
     '{{ . }}',
     {{/each}}
   ],
-  {{/if}}
   extends: [
     '@npmcli',
     ...localConfigs,
diff --git a/lib/content/gitignore b/lib/content/gitignore
index d9d4b23e..21074e32 100644
--- a/lib/content/gitignore
+++ b/lib/content/gitignore
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # ignore everything in the root
 /*
+# transient test directories
+tap-testdir*/
 
 # keep these
 {{#each ignorePaths}}
diff --git a/lib/content/index.js b/lib/content/index.js
index 19c8117f..ed916cc9 100644
--- a/lib/content/index.js
+++ b/lib/content/index.js
@@ -157,7 +157,9 @@ module.exports = {
     '/LICENSE*',
     '/CHANGELOG*',
   ],
-  ignorePaths: [],
+  ignorePaths: [
+    /* to be provided by consuming package */
+  ],
   ciVersions: {},
   latestCiVersion: 20,
   lockfile: false,
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/apply/source-snapshots.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/apply/source-snapshots.js.test.cjs
index ec1bf3d9..f8165606 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test/apply/source-snapshots.js.test.cjs
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test/apply/source-snapshots.js.test.cjs
@@ -33,6 +33,9 @@ const localConfigs = readdir(__dirname)
 
 module.exports = {
   root: true,
+  ignorePatterns: [
+    'tap-testdir*/',
+  ],
   extends: [
     '@npmcli',
     ...localConfigs,
@@ -1638,6 +1641,8 @@ jobs:
 
 # ignore everything in the root
 /*
+# transient test directories
+tap-testdir*/
 
 # keep these
 !**/.gitignore
@@ -1873,6 +1878,7 @@ const localConfigs = readdir(__dirname)
 module.exports = {
   root: true,
   ignorePatterns: [
+    'tap-testdir*/',
     'workspaces/a/**',
     'workspaces/b/**',
   ],
@@ -3855,6 +3861,8 @@ jobs:
 
 # ignore everything in the root
 /*
+# transient test directories
+tap-testdir*/
 
 # keep these
 !**/.gitignore
@@ -4078,6 +4086,9 @@ const localConfigs = readdir(__dirname)
 
 module.exports = {
   root: true,
+  ignorePatterns: [
+    'tap-testdir*/',
+  ],
   extends: [
     '@npmcli',
     ...localConfigs,
@@ -4090,6 +4101,8 @@ workspaces/a/.gitignore
 
 # ignore everything in the root
 /*
+# transient test directories
+tap-testdir*/
 
 # keep these
 !**/.gitignore
@@ -4153,6 +4166,9 @@ const localConfigs = readdir(__dirname)
 
 module.exports = {
   root: true,
+  ignorePatterns: [
+    'tap-testdir*/',
+  ],
   extends: [
     '@npmcli',
     ...localConfigs,
@@ -4165,6 +4181,8 @@ workspaces/b/.gitignore
 
 # ignore everything in the root
 /*
+# transient test directories
+tap-testdir*/
 
 # keep these
 !**/.gitignore
@@ -5877,6 +5895,9 @@ const localConfigs = readdir(__dirname)
 
 module.exports = {
   root: true,
+  ignorePatterns: [
+    'tap-testdir*/',
+  ],
   extends: [
     '@npmcli',
     ...localConfigs,
@@ -5889,6 +5910,8 @@ workspaces/a/.gitignore
 
 # ignore everything in the root
 /*
+# transient test directories
+tap-testdir*/
 
 # keep these
 !**/.gitignore
@@ -5952,6 +5975,9 @@ const localConfigs = readdir(__dirname)
 
 module.exports = {
   root: true,
+  ignorePatterns: [
+    'tap-testdir*/',
+  ],
   extends: [
     '@npmcli',
     ...localConfigs,
@@ -5964,6 +5990,8 @@ workspaces/b/.gitignore
 
 # ignore everything in the root
 /*
+# transient test directories
+tap-testdir*/
 
 # keep these
 !**/.gitignore
diff --git a/tap-snapshots/test/check/snapshots.js.test.cjs b/tap-snapshots/test/check/snapshots.js.test.cjs
index 0c2c6c71..bd280ee0 100644
--- a/tap-snapshots/test/check/snapshots.js.test.cjs
+++ b/tap-snapshots/test/check/snapshots.js.test.cjs
@@ -120,6 +120,7 @@ The following files are tracked by git but matching a pattern in .gitignore:
 To correct it: move files to not match one of the following patterns:
 
   /*
+  tap-testdir*/
   !**/.gitignore
   !/.commitlintrc.js
   !/.eslintrc.js
@@ -159,6 +160,7 @@ The following files are tracked by git but matching a pattern in .gitignore:
 To correct it: move files to not match one of the following patterns:
 
   /*
+  tap-testdir*/
   !**/.gitignore
   !/.commitlintrc.js
   !/.eslintrc.js
@@ -196,6 +198,7 @@ The following files are tracked by git but matching a pattern in workspaces/a/.g
 To correct it: move files to not match one of the following patterns:
 
   /*
+  tap-testdir*/
   !**/.gitignore
   !/.eslintrc.js
   !/.eslintrc.local.*
@@ -221,6 +224,7 @@ The following files are tracked by git but matching a pattern in workspaces/b/.g
 To correct it: move files to not match one of the following patterns:
 
   /*
+  tap-testdir*/
   !**/.gitignore
   !/.eslintrc.js
   !/.eslintrc.local.*
diff --git a/workspace/test-workspace/.eslintrc.js b/workspace/test-workspace/.eslintrc.js
index 5db9f815..f21d26ec 100644
--- a/workspace/test-workspace/.eslintrc.js
+++ b/workspace/test-workspace/.eslintrc.js
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ const localConfigs = readdir(__dirname)
 
 module.exports = {
   root: true,
+  ignorePatterns: [
+    'tap-testdir*/',
+  ],
   extends: [
     '@npmcli',
     ...localConfigs,
diff --git a/workspace/test-workspace/.gitignore b/workspace/test-workspace/.gitignore
index 79af2bfc..a96d056a 100644
--- a/workspace/test-workspace/.gitignore
+++ b/workspace/test-workspace/.gitignore
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 # ignore everything in the root
 /*
+# transient test directories
+tap-testdir*/
 
 # keep these
 !**/.gitignore