Excluding files, file types, and directories from the file changes scan

By default, Melapress File Monitor scans everything apart from media and non-executable files, such as videos, images, text files, and log files. The plugin also scans custom code and web applications that are in any of the WordPress directories.

However, you can ignore or exclude specific directories, files, or file types from being scanned.

What’s the difference between ignore and exclude?

When files, directories, or file types are ignored, Melapress File Monitor still scans the files, however it does not report any detected changes. 

On the other hand, when directories are excluded, the plugin skips that directory altogether and does not scan it. This can be useful if you have large folders.

How to ignore directories, files, and file types

To ignore files, directories, and file types, first, navigate to File Monitoring > Settings, then scroll down to Which files and directories should the plugin ignore? section and:

Ignore directories

To ignore a directory, enter the directory in the Ignore all files in these directories textbox and click on Add.

Do note that you’ll need to enter the full URI following the website’s absolute path, which is listed right above the textbox.

Example: wp-content/cache

To include any of the ignored directories in the next scan, simply untick the checkbox next to the ignored directory.

Click Save to save changes.

Ignore files

To ignore files during scans, enter the file name, complete with the file extension, in the Ignore these files textbox, and click on Add.

Example: wp-config-sample.php

Melapress File Monitor will ignore all files that match the provided filename, regardless of the directory they reside in. To ignore one specific file, include the full directory URI, excluding the website’s absolute path.

Example: wp-content/excludedfile.php

To include any of the ignored files in the next scan, simply untick the checkbox next to the ignored file.

Click Save to save changes.

Ignore file types

To ignore a file type, enter the file extension in the Ignore all files with these extensions textbox and click on Add.

Example: .pdf

To include any of the ignored file types in the next scan, simply untick the checkbox next to the ignored file type.

Click Save to save changes.

How to exclude directories

To exclude directories from future scans, first navigate to File Monitoring > Settings, then scroll down to Which files and directories should the plugin ignore? section and then scroll to Which directories should be excluded from the scan?

Next, enter the full URI following the website’s absolute path in the Exclude all files in these directories textbox and click Add.

Click Save to save changes.