.engineforgeignore

Control which files and directories the AI agent can access. Uses the same syntax as .gitignore with engine-specific defaults applied automatically.

How it works

When the agent reads or writes files, it checks against your ignore rules. Files matching a pattern are blocked from both reading and writing, keeping sensitive, generated, or irrelevant files out of the AI's context.

  1. EngineForge looks for a .engineforgeignore file at your workspace root
  2. If found, it uses those rules
  3. If not found, it applies engine-specific defaults automatically

Default patterns

When no custom .engineforgeignore file exists, these defaults are applied based on your detected engine:

General (all projects)

.git/
.vs/
.idea/
node_modules/
__pycache__/
build/
dist/
out/
bin/

Unity projects

Library/
Temp/
Logs/
UserSettings/
Obj/
Build/
Builds/
ProjectSettings/
*.meta
*.csproj
*.sln
*.dll
*.pdb
*.exe
*.apk
*.aab

Godot projects

.godot/
.mono/
.import/
*.import
export_presets.cfg

Creating a custom file

To customize the ignore rules, create a .engineforgeignore file at the root of your project. Alternatively, go to Settings → Ignored Files and click Edit .engineforgeignore. This creates the file with a template header if it doesn't exist yet.

Syntax

The file uses the same syntax as .gitignore:

  • One pattern per line
  • Blank lines and lines starting with # are ignored
  • * matches any sequence of characters within a path segment
  • ** matches any number of directories
  • Patterns ending with / match directories only
  • Prefix with ! to negate (un-ignore) a pattern

Testing paths

In Settings → Ignored Files, use the Test a Path feature to check whether a specific file path would be blocked or allowed by the current rules. Enter a relative path and the UI shows whether it's accessible to the agent.

Resetting to defaults

If you have a custom .engineforgeignore file and want to go back to the engine-specific defaults, click Reset to Defaults in Settings. This deletes the custom file and reverts to the built-in patterns.