How to exclude node_modules or log files from FTP uploads

Each site in FTP by Zaweba has its own Exclude box. Open Site Manager, pick the site and type your patterns into it, one per line. Something like node_modules on one line and *.log on the next is enough. Save, and from then on those items are never transferred, in either direction, by any upload, download or sync.

The pattern rules are short and worth knowing properly, because a well-written list saves a lot of time.

How the patterns match

A plain name matches anywhere in the site. Writing node_modules excludes every folder of that name, however deep, and everything inside it.

Wildcards work on names. *.log matches any file ending in .log, wherever it is. The ? stands for exactly one character.

A pattern with a slash in it matches from the site's root instead of anywhere. cache/** means the cache folder at the top of the site and everything under it, but not some other folder called cache deeper down.

The difference between * and ** matters. A single * stays within one folder level. A double ** spans as many levels as needed. So logs/* catches files directly inside the top-level logs folder, while logs/** catches everything beneath it at any depth.

Matching ignores case, so *.LOG and *.log behave the same. Blank lines are skipped, and a line starting with # is ignored, which lets you leave notes for yourself.

A starting list for common sites

For a site built with JavaScript tools, node_modules is the big one. It can hold tens of thousands of small files the live site never reads.

Log and temporary files come next: *.log, and patterns for the temp or cache folders your site uses. Editor and system clutter is worth adding too, the hidden files some tools leave behind.

Keep a # comment above each group so that in six months you still know why a line is there.

Adding your patterns

Open Site Manager from the File or Site menu with Manage Sites. Select the site. Find the Exclude box and add one pattern per line. Save; Site Manager flags unsaved changes, so you'll see if you've forgotten.

Then run a preview to check. Put Newer to Server or Sync both show their lists before anything moves. The excluded items shouldn't appear. If they still do, the pattern probably needs a slash removed (to match anywhere) or added (to match from the root).

Mistakes to avoid

Don't exclude something the site needs. A vendor folder is clutter in some projects and essential in others, for instance where PHP libraries live in one. If the live site depends on it, leave it in.

Remember that exclusion works both ways. An excluded folder won't upload, but it won't download either, so files there that exist only on the server will never come down to your PC through transfers.

Be careful with patterns that are too broad. A bare * on its own line would match everything. Test with a preview before trusting a new list.

How it fits the rest of the app

Exclusions are part of each site's settings, so they travel with Site > Export Site Settings to another PC. They also make every list shorter, from Put Recent's quick catch-up to two-way Sync, which means the real changes are easier to spot. That's often the bigger benefit: not just less to upload, but less to read before you upload it.