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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.

Developer extension only

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.
tip

You can use both global and local .gooseignore files simultaneously. When both exist, goose will apply patterns from both files, with local patterns able to override global ones using negation.

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

Negation Patterns​

Use the ! prefix to exclude files from ignore rules. This allows you to ignore broad patterns while allowing specific exceptions.

Within each .gooseignore file, patterns are processed in order from top to bottom, so later patterns can override earlier ones. Negation patterns also work across files - you can use negation in your local .gooseignore to allow access to files blocked by your global .gooseignore.

# Ignore all environment files
**/.env*

# But allow the example file
!.env.example

# Ignore all log files
*.log

# But allow error logs
!error.log

# Ignore all JSON files in the config directory
config/*.json

# But allow the template
!config/template.json
Pattern Order Matters

Negation patterns must come after the patterns they're negating. The ! pattern re-includes files that were previously ignored.

Ignore File Types and Priority​

goose respects ignore rules from global and local .gooseignore files, using a priority system where later patterns can override earlier ones.

When You Have Ignore Files​

When .gooseignore files exist, patterns are applied in this order:

  1. Global .gooseignore (applied first)

    • Located at ~/.config/goose/.gooseignore
    • Affects all projects on your machine

  2. Local .gooseignore (applied second, can override global)

    • Located in the current working directory (the root of the directory you want these rules applied to)
    • Project-specific rules that can override global patterns
~/.config/goose/
└── .gooseignore      ← Global patterns applied first

Project/
├── .gooseignore      ← Local patterns applied second (can override global)
└── src/

Because patterns are processed in order, you can use negation patterns in your local .gooseignore to allow access to files that were blocked by global patterns.

Example: Override global restrictions in a specific project

# In ~/.config/goose/.gooseignore (global)
**/.env*              # Block all .env files everywhere

# In your-project/.gooseignore (local)
!.env.example         # Allow .env.example in this project only

In this example, .env and .env.local remain blocked, but .env.example is accessible in this specific project.

Default Patterns (No Ignore Files)​

If you haven't created any .gooseignore files (neither global nor local), goose automatically protects these sensitive files:

**/.env
**/.env.*
**/secrets.*
info

These default patterns are only active when no .gooseignore files exist. Once you create either a global or local .gooseignore file, you'll need to add these patterns yourself if you want to keep them.

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
  • Custom Restrictions: Create .gooseignore files to define which files goose should not access