Merge pull request #1715 from cline/clineignore-intro-markdown

.changeset/ten-books-act.md

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+---
+"claude-dev": minor
+---
+
+Adding .clineignore guide

docs/cline-customization/clineignore.md

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+### .clineignore Support
+
+To give you more control over which files are accessible to Cline, we've implemented `.clineignore` functionality, similar to `.gitignore`. This allows you to specify files and directories that Cline should **not** access or process. This is useful for:
+
+*   **Privacy:** Preventing Cline from accessing sensitive or private files in your workspace.
+*   **Performance:**  Excluding large directories or files that are irrelevant to your tasks, potentially improving the efficiency of Cline.
+*   **Context Management:**  Focusing Cline's attention on the relevant parts of your project.
+
+**How to use `.clineignore`**
+
+1.  **Create a `.clineignore` file:** In the root directory of your workspace (the same level as your `.vscode` folder, or the top level folder you opened in VS Code), create a new file named `.clineignore`.
+
+2.  **Define ignore patterns:** Open the `.clineignore` file and specify the patterns for files and directories you want Cline to ignore. The syntax is the same as `.gitignore`:
+
+    *   Each line in the file represents a pattern.
+    *   **Standard glob patterns are supported:**
+        *   `*` matches zero or more characters
+        *   `?` matches one character
+        *   `[]` matches a character range
+        *   `**` matches any number of directories and subdirectories.
+
+    *   **Directory patterns:** Append `/` to the end of a pattern to specify a directory.
+    *   **Negation patterns:** Start a pattern with `!` to negate (un-ignore) a previously ignored pattern.
+    *   **Comments:** Start a line with `#` to add comments.
+
+    **Example `.clineignore` file:**
+
+    ```
+    # Ignore log files
+    *.log
+
+    # Ignore the entire 'node_modules' directory
+    node_modules/
+
+    # Ignore all files in the 'temp' directory and its subdirectories
+    temp/**
+
+    # But DO NOT ignore 'important.log' even if it's in the root
+    !important.log
+
+    # Ignore any file named 'secret.txt' in any subdirectory
+    **/secret.txt
+    ```
+
+3.  **Cline respects your `.clineignore`:** Once you save the `.clineignore` file, Cline will automatically recognize and apply these rules.
+
+    *   **File Access Control:** Cline will not be able to read the content of ignored files using tools like `read_file`. If you attempt to use a tool on an ignored file, Cline will inform you that access is blocked due to `.clineignore` settings.
+    *   **File Listing:** When you ask Cline to list files in a directory (e.g., using `list_files`), ignored files and directories will still be listed, but they will be marked with a **🔒** symbol next to their name to indicate that they are ignored. This helps you understand which files Cline can and cannot interact with.
+
+4.  **Dynamic Updates:** Cline monitors your `.clineignore` file for changes. If you modify, create, or delete your `.clineignore` file, Cline will automatically update its ignore rules without needing to restart VS Code or the extension.
+
+**In Summary**
+
+The `.clineignore` file provides a powerful and flexible way to control Cline's access to your workspace files, enhancing privacy, performance, and context management. By leveraging familiar `.gitignore` syntax, you can easily tailor Cline's focus to the most relevant parts of your projects.