Global exclusions

Settings ▸ Exclusions holds rules for every job. The page says it: Applies to every job, on top of each job's own rules. A job's own filters are set in the job; see Filters and exclusions.

Exclusions settings page

Presets#

The same eight switches as in a job's filter editor. Each shows the patterns it covers.

A preset that is on here applies to every job. It does not also need to be on in each job.

Your global rules#

1. Under Match by, pick the kind: File name, Extension, Full path, Regex, Size, Date modified or Attribute.
2. Type the rule. The hint under the field shows the form, for example *.iso, >20GB or **/node_modules/**.
3. Click Add.

Each rule is listed with a plain description; the cross removes it. A rule the engine cannot read is refused with an example of the right form.

Every global rule excludes. The page says: An exclude always beats an include: a job's own include rules cannot bring back what is excluded here.

Import and export#

Export… saves the presets and rules as gbm-ai-exclusions.json. Import… reads such a file, or one exported from a job's filter editor with Export rules…. Imported rules are added to yours; the file's presets replace the ones set here.

Never backed up#

A fixed list the engine skips on every run, so these never appear in a set: pagefile.sys, hiberfil.sys, swapfile.sys, System Volume Information, $Recycle.Bin, and the backup destinations themselves. It is shown so nobody wonders where they went.

Related articles#

• Filters and exclusions
• Choosing what to back up
• Skipped files: why a run finished amber