# ai-memory ignore_paths Configuration: How to Exclude Files from Capture > Learn how to use ai-memory ignore_paths to exclude specific files from capture. Prevent sensitive data from entering your LLM pipeline with custom glob patterns. - Repository: [Fabio Akita/ai-memory](https://github.com/akitaonrails/ai-memory) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-09-12 --- **[capture] ignore_paths** is a capture-exclusion rule that tells the ai-memory server to drop any file-tool events matching specified glob patterns before they are spooled, queued, or transmitted, ensuring private paths never enter the memory store or LLM pipeline. The `akitaonrails/ai-memory` repository implements a lifecycle event capture system that tracks codebase changes for AI-assisted development. Configuring **ai-memory ignore_paths** lets you define lexical boundaries that prevent sensitive directories and generated artifacts from being indexed in the Full-Text Search (FTS) database or converted to vector embeddings. ## How ai-memory ignore_paths Filters Events When the ai-memory hook processes a lifecycle event—such as a `git diff` output or a file search result—it first locates the nearest [`.ai-memory.toml`](https://github.com/akitaonrails/ai-memory/blob/main/.ai-memory.toml) marker file. The system compares the event's path against the `ignore_paths` array defined in the `[capture]` section. If any pattern matches, the event is **discarded locally** before network transmission occurs. This pre-queue filtering means excluded files bypass the entire ingestion pipeline: no observation records are created, no wiki pages are generated, and no data reaches downstream LLM-driven consolidation. As implemented in [`docs/marker-file.md`](https://github.com/akitaonrails/ai-memory/blob/main/docs/marker-file.md), this mechanism provides a lightweight boundary control that is not a full Data Loss Prevention (DLP) solution but effectively keeps specified paths out of the memory system. ### Scope and Marker File Resolution The exclusion rule applies to the *nearest* [`.ai-memory.toml`](https://github.com/akitaonrails/ai-memory/blob/main/.ai-memory.toml) file in the directory hierarchy. Critically, a marker file containing only a `[capture]` section does **not** reset workspace or project mappings; it functions solely as a capture-only boundary. This allows you to place granular exclusion rules in subdirectories without disrupting the broader repository configuration. ## Pattern Syntax and Matching Rules The ai-memory engine matches paths using simple glob syntax against **lexically normalized absolute paths** rooted at the marker file's directory. - **`*`** matches any single path segment or character sequence within a segment - **`?`** matches exactly one character - **`**`** matches zero or more directory levels - **`~/`** expands to the user's home directory - Paths are evaluated as absolute paths normalized relative to the marker location According to [`docs/marker-file.md`](https://github.com/akitaonrails/ai-memory/blob/main/docs/marker-file.md), the matching occurs against the canonical absolute path, ensuring consistent behavior across different working directories. ## Configuring ai-memory ignore_paths ### Basic Exclusion Patterns Create an [`.ai-memory.toml`](https://github.com/akitaonrails/ai-memory/blob/main/.ai-memory.toml) file in your repository root to exclude specific directories from capture: ```toml # .ai-memory.toml [capture] ignore_paths = [ "private/**", # exclude entire private directory tree "~/personal-notes/**", # exclude home directory notes "docs/adr/**", # exclude architecture decision records "*.log", # exclude all log files ] ``` ### Capture-Only Markers You can place marker files deeper in the hierarchy to apply exclusions only to specific sub-trees. These markers do not affect project resolution but still enforce capture rules: ```toml # tools/.ai-memory.toml - applies only to tools/ subdirectory [capture] ignore_paths = ["tools/generated/**", "tools/tmp/*"] ``` ### Verifying Your Configuration Validate your exclusion rules using the CLI before committing changes: ```bash # Displays effective capture policy for current directory ai-memory check-capture ``` This command outputs the resolved `ignore_paths` list and indicates whether sample paths would be dropped or captured. ### Enabling Allow-List Mode For high-security contexts, you can invert the logic so that **no events are captured unless explicitly allowed** through the filter mechanism: ```bash ai-memory install-hooks --apply --capture-mode allowlist ``` In this mode, unrecognized paths and events failing the ignore filter are treated conservatively: recognized search and list tools are dropped, while malformed events become metadata-only entries without path data. ## Summary - **[capture] ignore_paths** prevents matching files from being indexed, embedded, or transmitted to the ai-memory server. - Patterns use glob syntax (`*`, `?`, `**`) matched against absolute paths rooted at the marker file. - Exclusions are read from the nearest [`.ai-memory.toml`](https://github.com/akitaonrails/ai-memory/blob/main/.ai-memory.toml) without affecting workspace resolution. - Events matching ignore patterns are dropped locally before network transport, ensuring zero exposure. - Use `ai-memory check-capture` to validate policies and `--capture-mode allowlist` for restrictive capture environments. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What happens if I don't configure ignore_paths? If the `[capture]` section is missing or `ignore_paths = []`, the capture policy is **inactive** and ai-memory stores all recognized lifecycle events normally, as documented in [`docs/marker-file.md`](https://github.com/akitaonrails/ai-memory/blob/main/docs/marker-file.md). ### Does a capture-only marker affect project boundaries? No. According to the source documentation, marker files containing only `[capture]` rules do not reset or alter workspace and project mappings. They strictly govern which file events are excluded from capture. ### Can I use regular expressions instead of glob patterns? No. The ai-memory configuration, as defined in [`crates/ai-memory-cli/templates/config.default.toml`](https://github.com/akitaonrails/ai-memory/blob/main/crates/ai-memory-cli/templates/config.default.toml) and [`docs/marker-file.md`](https://github.com/akitaonrails/ai-memory/blob/main/docs/marker-file.md), supports only glob wildcards. Regular expression syntax is not supported in `ignore_paths` patterns. ### How do I confirm a specific file would be excluded? Run `ai-memory check-capture` in the target directory. This command reads the effective [`.ai-memory.toml`](https://github.com/akitaonrails/ai-memory/blob/main/.ai-memory.toml) configuration and reports whether paths would be dropped based on the current `ignore_paths` settings.