diff --git a/packages/toolpad-app/cli/index.ts b/packages/toolpad-app/cli/index.ts
index 9fc5fb5cdbf..14707078fc7 100644
--- a/packages/toolpad-app/cli/index.ts
+++ b/packages/toolpad-app/cli/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import 'dotenv/config';
 import arg from 'arg';
 import path from 'path';
+import * as fs from 'fs/promises';
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import { Readable } from 'stream';
 import * as readline from 'readline';
@@ -32,6 +33,8 @@ function* getPreferredPorts(port: number = DEFAULT_PORT): Iterable<number> {
   }
 }
 
+const TOOLPAD_DIR_PATH = path.resolve(__dirname, '../..'); // from ./dist/server
+
 interface RunCommandArgs {
   // Whether Toolpad editor is running in debug mode
   devMode?: boolean;
@@ -42,7 +45,7 @@ async function runApp(cmd: 'dev' | 'start', { devMode = false, port }: RunComman
   const { execa } = await import('execa');
   const { default: chalk } = await import('chalk');
   const { default: getPort } = await import('get-port');
-  const toolpadDir = path.resolve(__dirname, '../..'); // from ./dist/server
+
   const nextCommand = devMode ? 'dev' : 'start';
 
   if (!port) {
@@ -57,7 +60,7 @@ async function runApp(cmd: 'dev' | 'start', { devMode = false, port }: RunComman
   }
 
   const cp = execa('next', [nextCommand, `--port=${port}`], {
-    cwd: toolpadDir,
+    cwd: TOOLPAD_DIR_PATH,
     preferLocal: true,
     stdio: 'pipe',
     env: {
@@ -80,7 +83,7 @@ async function runApp(cmd: 'dev' | 'start', { devMode = false, port }: RunComman
     invariant(detectedPort, 'Could not find port in stdout');
     const toolpadBaseUrl = `http://localhost:${detectedPort}/`;
     try {
-      await openBrowser(toolpadBaseUrl);
+      openBrowser(toolpadBaseUrl);
     } catch (err: any) {
       console.error(`${chalk.red('error')} - Failed to open browser: ${err.message}`);
     }
@@ -93,17 +96,43 @@ async function runApp(cmd: 'dev' | 'start', { devMode = false, port }: RunComman
   });
 }
 
+const PROJECT_FILES_PATH = path.resolve(TOOLPAD_DIR_PATH, './cli/projectFiles');
+
+const projectFiles = [
+  {
+    source: 'toolpad-generated-gitignore',
+    destination: './.toolpad-generated/.gitignore',
+  },
+];
+
+async function writeProjectFiles(): Promise<void> {
+  await Promise.all(
+    projectFiles.map(async ({ source, destination }) => {
+      const filePath = path.resolve(PROJECT_FILES_PATH, source);
+      const fileContent = await fs.readFile(filePath);
+
+      await fs.writeFile(path.join(process.cwd(), destination), fileContent, {
+        encoding: 'utf-8',
+      });
+    }),
+  );
+}
+
 async function devCommand(args: RunCommandArgs) {
   const { default: chalk } = await import('chalk');
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
-  console.log(`${chalk.blue('info')} - starting Toolpad application in dev mode...`);
+  console.log(`${chalk.blue('info')} - generating project files…`);
+  await writeProjectFiles();
+
+  // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
+  console.log(`${chalk.blue('info')} - starting Toolpad application in dev mode…`);
   await runApp('dev', args);
 }
 
 async function buildCommand() {
   const { default: chalk } = await import('chalk');
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
-  console.log(`${chalk.blue('info')} - building Toolpad application...`);
+  console.log(`${chalk.blue('info')} - building Toolpad application…`);
   await new Promise((resolve) => {
     setTimeout(resolve, 1000);
   });
@@ -114,7 +143,7 @@ async function buildCommand() {
 async function startCommand(args: RunCommandArgs) {
   const { default: chalk } = await import('chalk');
   // eslint-disable-next-line no-console
-  console.log(`${chalk.blue('info')} - Starting Toolpad application...`);
+  console.log(`${chalk.blue('info')} - Starting Toolpad application…`);
   await runApp('start', args);
 }
 
diff --git a/packages/toolpad-app/cli/projectFiles/toolpad-generated-gitignore b/packages/toolpad-app/cli/projectFiles/toolpad-generated-gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c96a04f008e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/toolpad-app/cli/projectFiles/toolpad-generated-gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+*
+!.gitignore
\ No newline at end of file