Filtering with .chatignore - ChatCLI
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ChatCLI supports a file exclusion system inspired by .gitignore. This allows you to refine the context sent to the AI, avoiding irrelevant files such as tests, logs, dependencies, and builds.

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Why filter files?

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The .chatignore file

The syntax is identical to .gitignore:
  • Lines starting with # are comments
  • To ignore an entire directory, add the name followed by / (e.g., docs/)
  • Use glob patterns (wildcards) to ignore files (e.g., *_test.go, *.log)

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Practical example

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Precedence hierarchy

ChatCLI searches for an ignore file in a specific order. The first one found is used and the rest are ignored:

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Example with environment variable

Rules are not merged. Only the first ignore file found in the hierarchy is used. If you set CHATCLI_IGNORE, the project and global directory .chatignore files will be ignored.

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Default rules

When no .chatignore file is found, ChatCLI uses built-in rules that already automatically ignore:
  • .git/
  • node_modules/
  • vendor/
  • __pycache__/
  • .idea/, .vscode/
  • Binary and compiled files

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Usage tips

  • Create a .chatignore at the root of each project for specific rules
  • Use the global ~/.chatcli/.chatignore for universal rules (e.g., .DS_Store, Thumbs.db)
  • Combine with @file --mode smart so the AI selects only the most relevant files within the already filtered scope