Applies to: Advanced documented .plexignore scanner feature
The useful distinctions
- The file must be named exactly .plexignore.
- It contains one exclusion pattern per line.
- Asterisks are wildcards and hash-prefixed lines are comments.
- Forward-slash patterns are relative to the directory containing the file.
Keep exclusions understandable
An ignore rule should describe a known class of working material, such as an export staging directory. Use the narrowest scope that expresses that intention. A root-level wildcard can hide far more than the author expected when the library later grows. Keep a comment explaining the purpose so a future maintainer can distinguish a deliberate exclusion from an abandoned experiment.
Check the real filename
Text editors may append an extension that makes the file look plausible while preventing the scanner from recognising it. Inspect the exact stored name before debugging the rule itself. The example uses a single relative directory pattern rather than a broad extension filter. This avoids excluding every video of a particular container type when the actual goal is only to omit temporary work products.
Test what should remain visible
Choose a new file inside the excluded directory and another outside it. The expected result includes both absence and continued discovery. Preserve an original media inventory and avoid using exclusions as a substitute for storage organisation. The documented feature controls scanning of new content; do not assume that adding a rule is a supported method for purging existing library history or deleting original files.
A focused way to proceed
- Choose the narrowest directory where the rule should apply.
- Create an exact .plexignore filename without a hidden .txt suffix.
- Add a documented pattern for the intended working subdirectory.
- Scan a small test set and verify that intended media is still discoverable.
Worked example · synthetic
# Local working derivatives are not library titles
review-exports/*Read the comparison
An ignored candidate is excluded before matching; Fix Match cannot correct a file the scanner never offered.
When to stop or ask for help
If a legitimate file is absent, inspect ignore rules and special scanner keywords before changing metadata agents.