diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9acc410..3b123d1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -66,4 +66,8 @@ Utopia-ai-hr-ats-portal 1.pem
 # Local-only Compose overrides (never deployed)
 docker.local.env
 tests/**
-**/.env**
\ No newline at end of file
+**/.env**
+
+# Paper form source documents (Annexure A/E/J) — reference material, not code.
+# Root-anchored: backend/candidate_forms/ is the forms domain package and IS tracked.
+/candidate_forms/