aid: aiignore
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/aiignore/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
name: .AIIgnore
tags:
- AI Agents
- Configuration
- Developer Workflow
- Security
- Privacy
- Developer Tools
- LLM
- Secrets Management
type: Index
image: https://kinlane-productions.s3.amazonaws.com/apis-json/apis-json-logo.jpg
access: 3rd-Party
created: '2025-01-01'
modified: '2026-04-19'
position: Consumer
description: The .aiignore file is a configuration specification that tells AI coding agents and LLM-powered developer tools which files, directories, and content should not be read, processed, or 
  modified. Modeled after .gitignore syntax, .aiignore files protect sensitive data, proprietary code, and personal information from being exposed to AI models during development workflows. Supported 
  by JetBrains AI Assistant, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Gemini Code Assist, and other AI coding tools.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com
specificationVersion: '0.19'
apis:
- aid: aiignore:aiignore-cli
  name: AIIgnore CLI
  tags:
  - CLI
  - Security
  - Developer Tools
  - TypeScript
  - Node.js
  - Secrets Management
  humanURL: https://github.com/yjcho9317/aiignore-cli
  description: Command-line tool that generates .aiignore configuration files to protect secrets from AI coding tools including JetBrains AI, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Codeium, and Windsurf
    with a single command.
  properties:
  - url: https://github.com/yjcho9317/aiignore-cli
    type: GitHubRepository
  - url: https://www.npmjs.com/package/aiignore-cli
    type: SDK
    title: npm Package
common:
- name: AIIgnore CLI GitHub
  url: https://github.com/yjcho9317/aiignore-cli
  type: GitHubRepository
  description: CLI tool for generating .aiignore files across multiple AI coding tools.
- name: JetBrains AI Assistant
  url: https://www.jetbrains.com/ai/
  type: Portal
  description: JetBrains AI Assistant which respects .aiignore files in project roots.
- name: 'GitHub Topics: aiignore'
  url: https://github.com/topics/aiignore
  type: GitHubRepository
  description: GitHub topic page collecting .aiignore-related repositories and tools.
- name: Cursor AI Rules
  url: https://docs.cursor.com/context/rules
  type: Documentation
  description: Cursor AI editor rules documentation for context exclusion (.cursorignore).
- name: Claude Code Ignore
  url: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/claude-code/
  type: Documentation
  description: Claude Code documentation for .claudeignore file support.
- type: Features
  data:
  - name: .gitignore-Compatible Syntax
    description: Uses familiar glob pattern syntax from .gitignore so developers can immediately define exclusion rules.
  - name: Secrets Protection
    description: Prevents AI models from reading .env files, credential files, API keys, private keys, and other sensitive data.
  - name: Multi-Tool Support
    description: Single .aiignore file works across JetBrains AI, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, Codeium, and Windsurf.
  - name: Directory-Level Exclusion
    description: Exclude entire directories from AI context with simple pattern rules (e.g., vendor/, node_modules/).
  - name: File Pattern Matching
    description: Match files by extension, name, or path pattern to control AI model access granularly.
  - name: Project-Root Placement
    description: Single file in project root applies rules across the entire project tree.
  - name: Proprietary Code Protection
    description: Prevent proprietary algorithms, business logic, or licensed code from being sent to external AI APIs.
  - name: CLI Generation Tool
    description: aiignore-cli generates boilerplate .aiignore files with one command, covering common secrets patterns automatically.
- type: UseCases
  data:
  - name: API Key Protection
    description: Exclude .env and config files containing API keys, tokens, and credentials from AI coding tool context.
  - name: Proprietary Algorithm Protection
    description: Protect trade secrets and proprietary algorithms from being processed by AI models hosted on third-party infrastructure.
  - name: Compliance and Data Privacy
    description: Ensure regulated data (PII, healthcare records, financial data) is not sent to external AI APIs.
  - name: Large File Exclusion
    description: Exclude large binary files, build artifacts, and generated files that would waste AI context window.
  - name: Third-Party Code Exclusion
    description: Prevent licensed third-party code and vendor directories from being included in AI context.
- type: Integrations
  data:
  - name: JetBrains AI Assistant
    description: JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.) AI Assistant respects .aiignore in project root.
  - name: Cursor AI Editor
    description: Cursor IDE supports .cursorignore (similar concept) for controlling AI context access.
  - name: GitHub Copilot
    description: GitHub Copilot supports content exclusion via repository settings and .copilotignore patterns.
  - name: Claude Code
    description: Anthropic Claude Code CLI supports .claudeignore file for excluding files from AI context.
  - name: Codeium
    description: Codeium AI coding assistant with configurable file exclusion patterns.
  - name: Windsurf
    description: Codeium Windsurf AI editor with .windsurfignore support for context control.
  - name: Gemini Code Assist
    description: Google Gemini Code Assist with project-level context exclusion configuration.