Prevent Goose from Accessing Files
.gooseignore
is a text file that defines patterns for files and directories that Goose will not access. This means Goose cannot read, modify, delete, or run shell commands on these files when using the Developer extension's tools.
The .gooseignore feature currently only affects tools in the Developer extension. Other extensions are not restricted by these rules.
This guide will show you how to use .gooseignore
files to prevent Goose from changing specific files and directories.
Creating your .gooseignore
file
Goose supports two types of .gooseignore
files:
- Global ignore file - Create a
.gooseignore
file in~/.config/goose
. These restrictions will apply to all your sessions with Goose, regardless of directory. - Local ignore file - Create a
.gooseignore
file at the root of the directory you'd like it applied to. These restrictions will only apply when working in a specific directory.
You can use both global and local .gooseignore
files simultaneously. When both exist, Goose will combine the restrictions from both files to determine which paths are restricted.
Automatic .gitignore
fallback
If no .gooseignore
file is found in your current directory, Goose will automatically use your .gitignore
file as a fallback. This means:
-
Priority Order: Goose checks for ignore patterns in this order:
- Global
.gooseignore
(if exists) - Local
.gooseignore
(if exists) - Local
.gitignore
(if no local.gooseignore
and.gitignore
exists) - Default patterns (if none of the above exist)
- Global
-
Seamless Integration: Projects with existing
.gitignore
files get automatic protection without needing a separate.gooseignore
file. -
Override Capability: Creating a local
.gooseignore
file will completely override.gitignore
patterns for that directory.
When Goose uses .gitignore
as a fallback, it will log a message to help you understand which ignore file is being used.
Example .gooseignore
file
In your .gooseignore
file, you can write patterns to match files you want Goose to ignore. Here are some common patterns:
# Ignore specific files by name
settings.json # Ignore only the file named "settings.json"
# Ignore files by extension
*.pdf # Ignore all PDF files
*.config # Ignore all files ending in .config
# Ignore directories and their contents
backup/ # Ignore everything in the "backup" directory
downloads/ # Ignore everything in the "downloads" directory
# Ignore all files with this name in any directory
**/credentials.json # Ignore all files named "credentials.json" in any directory
# Complex patterns
*.log # Ignore all .log files
!error.log # Except for error.log file
Default patterns
By default, if you haven't created any .gooseignore
files and no .gitignore
file exists, Goose will not modify files matching these patterns:
**/.env
**/.env.*
**/secrets.*
These default patterns only apply when neither .gooseignore
nor .gitignore
files are found in your project.
Common use cases
Here are some typical scenarios where .gooseignore
is helpful:
- Generated Files: Prevent Goose from modifying auto-generated code or build outputs
- Third-Party Code: Keep Goose from changing external libraries or dependencies
- Important Configurations: Protect critical configuration files from accidental modifications
- Version Control: Prevent changes to version control files like
.git
directory - Existing Projects: Most projects already have
.gitignore
files that work automatically as ignore patterns for Goose - Custom Restrictions: Create
.gooseignore
when you need different patterns than your.gitignore
(e.g., allowing Goose to read files that Git ignores)