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Asked: 2024-09-24T19:31:12+05:30 In:

How can I specify certain folders to be excluded from search results in Visual Studio Code?

I’ve been diving into some serious coding lately with Visual Studio Code, and I’ve hit a bit of a snag that I hope someone can help me out with. So, you know how VS Code has that nifty search feature that lets you find stuff in your project quickly? It’s super handy, but here’s the thing: my project has grown quite a bit, and it’s got a ton of folders that I don’t actually want to search through all the time.

For instance, I have this one folder dedicated to old test files and another for generated assets. Every time I do a search, those folders keep popping up in the results, and it’s becoming a hassle to sift through them. I really just want to focus on the parts of the project that matter right now. I know there must be a way to exclude certain folders from search results, but I can’t figure it out.

I’ve noticed that the search bar has some options, but they seem a bit limited, and I’m not sure if excluding folders is something I can set up temporarily or if I’d have to fiddle with my settings every single time. That’s definitely not ideal!

I’ve tried a few things, like looking into the settings and playing around with the search configurations, but no luck so far. I found some articles on the internet, but they didn’t really explain it step by step or why some settings work better than others. It’s frustrating because I feel like I’m missing a simple trick that would save me a ton of time.

If anyone has a solution or could walk me through the process of excluding certain folders from search results, I’d really appreciate it! I mean, they say sharing is caring, right? Plus, I’m sure others have faced this issue too, and it would be great to get some insights from you all. Thanks a ton in advance—hoping to hear from some Visual Studio Code wizards!

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    2 Answers


    1. It sounds like you’re really diving into coding, but I totally get how annoying it can be to deal with search results cluttered by folders you don’t want to see. Thankfully, VS Code allows you to exclude certain folders from your search results, and it’s pretty easy!

      Here’s a simple way to exclude folders:

      1. Open the search bar (you can do this by pressing Ctrl + Shift + F).
      2. At the bottom of the search panel, there’s a field labeled “files to exclude”. You can simply type in the paths or names of the folders you want to exclude. For example:
        folderName/** (replace folderName with the actual name of your folder).
      3. If you have multiple folders, separate them with commas.
        Like this:
        oldTests/**, generatedAssets/**.

      This change applies only for the current search session, so you won’t have to mess with any long-term settings unless you want to save it as a default.

      You can also set these exclusions in your workspace settings if you think you’ll always want to ignore those folders:

      1. Open the settings (using Ctrl + ,).
      2. Search for search.exclude.
      3. You can add the folders you want to exclude here as well. This way, every time you search, those folders won’t pop up at all!

      Hope this helps you focus on the important parts of your project without the clutter! Let me know if you have any other questions or need more help!


    2. To exclude specific folders from your search results in Visual Studio Code, you can utilize the search feature’s include/exclude options. When you press Ctrl + Shift + F (or Cmd + Shift + F on Mac) to open the search panel, you’ll notice a ‘files to exclude’ input box at the bottom of the search panel. You can input the paths you want to exclude using glob patterns. For example, if you want to exclude the ‘old_tests’ folder and the ‘generated_assets’ folder located at the root of your project, you can enter `old_tests/**, generated_assets/**` in that box. This will allow you to keep your search results clean, focusing only on the directories that are relevant to your current work.

      If you want to make this exclusion permanent without having to set it each time you search, consider updating your settings.json file. You can do this by searching for “Preferences: Open Settings (JSON)” from the Command Palette (Ctrl + Shift + P or Cmd + Shift + P on Mac) and adding the following lines: "search.exclude": {"old_tests": true, "generated_assets": true}. This configuration will ensure that these folders are always excluded from your searches, making your development workflow smoother and more efficient. By employing these techniques, you can save time and focus on the essential parts of your project without the distraction of unwanted search results.

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