---
draft: false
title: Ignore Patterns
description: The AgentsMesh ignore file uses gitignore syntax to tell AI tools which files and directories to skip when indexing or reading the project.
---

The `.agentsmesh/ignore` file uses gitignore-style syntax to tell AI tools which files and directories to exclude from indexing, reading, and context loading.

## File format

```
# Dependencies
node_modules
.pnp
.pnp.js

# Build output
dist
build
out
.next
.nuxt

# Environment and secrets
.env
.env.*
*.pem
*.key
*.cert

# Logs
*.log
npm-debug.log*

# OS artifacts
.DS_Store
Thumbs.db

# Coverage and caches
coverage
.nyc_output
.cache
.turbo

# Large generated files
*.min.js
*.min.css
```

## Syntax

The syntax is identical to `.gitignore`:

| Pattern | Matches |
|---------|---------|
| `node_modules` | Directory named `node_modules` anywhere in the tree |
| `*.log` | Any file ending in `.log` |
| `dist/` | Directory named `dist` at any level |
| `/build` | Directory named `build` at the root only |
| `!important.log` | Un-ignore `important.log` (negate a previous pattern) |
| `src/**/*.test.ts` | All `.test.ts` files under `src/` |

## Why this matters

AI tools use the ignore list to decide what to index into their context and what to suggest in completions. A well-tuned ignore file:
- Prevents secrets and environment files from leaking into AI context
- Reduces noise from build artifacts and large generated files
- Improves response quality by focusing context on source files

## Tool-specific behavior

See the **Ignore** row in the [supported tools matrix](../reference/supported-tools/) for per-target support levels (native or unsupported).

## Relationship to `.gitignore`

The AgentsMesh ignore file is separate from `.gitignore`. This lets you have different exclusion rules for AI tools vs. git tracking. For example, you might want git to track `dist/` for a published library, but you don't want `dist/` loaded into AI context.

Common practice is to start with your `.gitignore` patterns and extend them with AI-specific exclusions like minified files, large data files, and auto-generated documentation.
