Excluding Files with .readmeaiignore¶

This guide shows you how to exclude specific files and directories from ReadmeAI analysis using a .readmeaiignore file.

Quick Start¶

1. Create the ignore file in your repository root:

   1	touch .readmeaiignore

2. Add patterns for files to exclude:

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   # Exclude all log files *.log # Exclude secrets directory secrets/ # Exclude specific file config/database.yaml

3. Run ReadmeAI as normal - it will automatically detect and use your ignore file.

Common Use Cases¶

Exclude Sensitive Files¶

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# Environment files
.env
.env.local
.env.production

# Configuration with secrets
config/secrets.yaml
private/

# Database files
*.db
*.sqlite

Exclude Development Files¶

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# IDE settings
.vscode/settings.json
.idea/workspace.xml

# OS files
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db

# Temporary files
*.tmp
*.cache
temp/

Exclude Large Data Files¶

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# Data directories
data/
datasets/
models/

# Media files
*.mp4
*.avi
images/raw/

# Archive files
*.zip
*.tar.gz

Include Important Files¶

Use ! to include files that would otherwise be excluded:

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# Exclude all logs
*.log

# But include the important one
!important.log

# Exclude entire directory
docs/generated/

# But include examples
!docs/generated/examples/

Testing Your Patterns¶

To verify your ignore patterns work correctly:

1. Run ReadmeAI on your repository
2. Check the generated README for unwanted file references
3. Adjust patterns as needed

The system will log when it finds your .readmeaiignore file:

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INFO     Found .readmeaiignore file: /path/to/repo/.readmeaiignore

Pattern Examples by Language¶

Python Projects¶

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# Virtual environments
venv/
env/
.venv/

# Jupyter checkpoints
.ipynb_checkpoints/

# Coverage reports
htmlcov/
.coverage

# Distribution
dist/
build/
*.egg-info/

JavaScript/Node.js¶

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# Dependencies
node_modules/

# Build outputs
dist/
build/

# Environment files
.env.local
.env.production

# Cache directories
.cache/
.parcel-cache/

Documentation Projects¶

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# Generated docs
_site/
site/
_build/

# Temporary files
*.swp
*.swo

# OS files
.DS_Store

Advanced Patterns¶

Recursive Exclusion¶

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# Exclude all node_modules anywhere
**/node_modules/

# Exclude all .cache directories
**/.cache/

# Exclude all test files
**/test_*.py

Conditional Inclusion¶

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# Exclude all config files
config/*

# But include the template
!config/template.yaml

# And include the public configs
!config/public/

Troubleshooting¶

Problem: Files still being analyzed despite ignore patterns

Solutions: - Check file path case sensitivity - Verify pattern syntax (use forward slashes) - Test with simpler patterns first - Check the ignore file is in repository root

Problem: Important files being excluded

Solutions: - Add negation patterns with ! - Review default exclusions in ignore patterns concepts - Be more specific with your exclusion patterns