Special Keyword File/Folder Exclusion

This functionality only works on v0.5.6+.

For advanced syntax please refer to the library description

What is .kavitaignore

.kavitaignore is a file that lies at any point in the directory tree. It compiles a set of file patterns that matches the files that should be excluded from the scan.

What is the basic syntax

  • Blank lines are ignored.
  • The * character is a wildcard.
  • Patterns without the forward-slash ' /' character (e.g. *.cbz) match filenames in the same directory as the .kavitaignore file, or anywhere in the tree if .kavitaignore is a root of the section.
  • Patterns with the forward-slash '/' character (e.g. somedir/*) match directory and file patterns relative to the directory containing the .kavitaignore file.

Where and how many .kavitaignore files can be in my directory tree?

You can have a max of one file per directory in as many directories as you want. A basic example of a file structure could be: (Basic syntax is shown. This is a basic showcase)

Library Root
  ┠── .kavitaignore                         # Compiles global patterns to be applied to all subfolders. 
  ┠── Series Name
      ┠── .kavitaignore                     # Compiles patterns to be applied to "Series Name". Could affect direct files and subfolders depending on the patterns inside of it
      ┠── Series Name v01.cbz
      ┠── Series Name v02.cbz
      ┠── Series Name v03.cbz
      ┖── Specials
        ┖── Series Name Omakes SP01.cbz
  ┖── Series Name 2
      ┠── .kavitaignore                     # Each directory can have a .kavitaignore on it's own
      ┠── Series Name 2 Vol.01 Ch.1.cbz
      ┠── Series Name 2 Vol.01 Ch.2.cbz
      ⋮
      ┖── Series Name 2 Vol.02 Ch.6.cbz

Example

If you only want EPUB files to show in a Kavita library (e.g. "Fiction Books"), create this .kavitaignore file inside the library folder:

#*.epub
*.mobi
*.azw
*.azw3
*.pdf
*.txt
*.cbz
*.cbr
*.zip
*.rar
*.opf
*.jpg
*.png
*.doc
*.docx
*.htm
*.html