I created a Next project, then opened WebStorm at its top (parent) folder, set my remote repository and pushed it.
Then I remembered that I wanted to use a single repository for both the frontend and backend, so I created frontend and backend folders in the original top folder, and moved the Next app's contents to the frontend folder.
Thus my structure would be parent/frontend, parent/backend. I have "Show Hidden Files" enabled in Windows, and I deleted the .idea folders everywhere I could find them. Yet even after doing that, closing the project, closing WebStorm, etc. I cannot get it to monitor the backend folder for changes so I can push them to GitHub! It only follows the frontend folder. And yes, I placed a .gitignore file in the parent folder.
And also, even though I deleted the .idea folder, it still knows my remote repository URL, so it's clearly holding my settings.
How do I make this blasted thing forget my project settings, without deleting the entire project!?
Finally found it, with a bit of help from a friend.
There's a hidden .git folder somewhere in the project. Use your file explorer to find it, because it won't show in Webstorm's project tab.
Delete that folder.
Then you'll get an error in webstorm, which directs you to settings->version control->directory mappings.
From there, remove the mappings.
Now go to the VCS tab at the top, and assuming you're open to the parent folder that you want to push to github, go to the VCS tab and select "Enable version control integration," and at this point it will begin monitoring the parent folder.
Then set your remote as you normally would if you were starting a new project.