Using .rooignore to Control File Access

The .rooignore file is a key feature for managing Roo Code's interaction with your project files. It allows you to specify files and directories that Roo should not access or modify, similar to how .gitignore works for Git.

What is .rooignore?

• Purpose: To protect sensitive information, prevent accidental changes to build artifacts or large assets, and generally define Roo's operational scope within your workspace.
• How to Use: Create a file named .rooignore in the root directory of your VS Code workspace. List patterns in this file to tell Roo which files and directories to ignore.

Roo actively monitors the .rooignore file. Any changes you make are reloaded automatically, ensuring Roo always uses the most current rules. The .rooignore file itself is always implicitly ignored, so Roo cannot change its own access rules.

Pattern Syntax

The syntax for .rooignore is identical to .gitignore. Here are common examples:

• node_modules/: Ignores the entire node_modules directory.
• *.log: Ignores all files ending in .log.
• config/secrets.json: Ignores a specific file.
• !important.log: An exception; Roo will not ignore this specific file, even if a broader pattern like *.log exists.
• build/: Ignores the build directory.
• docs/**/*.md: Ignores all Markdown files in the docs directory and its subdirectories.

For a comprehensive guide on syntax, refer to the official Git documentation on .gitignore.

How Roo Tools Interact with .rooignore

.rooignore rules are enforced across various Roo tools:

Strict Enforcement (Reads & Writes)

These tools directly check .rooignore before any file operation. If a file is ignored, the operation is blocked:

• read_file: Will not read ignored files.
• write_to_file: Will not write to or create new ignored files.
• apply_diff: Will not apply diffs to ignored files.
• list_code_definition_names: Will not parse ignored files for code symbols.

File Editing Tools (Potential Write Bypass)

The insert_content and search_and_replace tools use an internal component for managing changes. Important: Currently, the final write operation performed by these tools might bypass .rooignore rules. While initial read attempts might be blocked, the save action itself does not have an explicit check.

File Discovery and Listing

• list_files Tool: When Roo lists files, ignored files are typically omitted or marked with a 🔒 symbol (see "User Experience" below).
• Environment Details: Information about your workspace (like open tabs and project structure) provided to Roo is filtered to exclude or mark ignored items.

Command Execution

• execute_command Tool: This tool checks if a command (from a predefined list like cat or grep) targets an ignored file. If so, execution is blocked.

Key Limitations and Scope

• Workspace-Centric: .rooignore rules apply only to files and directories within the current VS Code workspace root. Files outside this scope are not affected.
• execute_command Specificity: Protection for execute_command is limited to a predefined list of file-reading commands. Custom scripts or uncommon utilities might not be caught.
• Write Operations via insert_content & search_and_replace: As noted, these tools might be able to write to ignored files due to current limitations in their save mechanism.
• Not a Full Sandbox: .rooignore is a powerful tool for controlling Roo's file access via its tools, but it does not create a system-level sandbox.

User Experience and Notifications

• Visual Cue (🔒): In file listings, files ignored by .rooignore may be marked with a lock symbol (🔒), depending on the showRooIgnoredFiles setting (defaults to true).
• Error Messages: If a tool operation is blocked, Roo receives an error: "Access to [file_path] is blocked by the .rooignore file settings. You must try to continue in the task without using this file, or ask the user to update the .rooignore file."
• Chat Notifications: You will typically see a notification in the Roo chat interface when an action is blocked due to .rooignore.

This guide helps you understand the .rooignore feature, its capabilities, and its current limitations, so you can effectively manage Roo's interaction with your codebase.