---
id: mkdocs-exclude
version: "1.0.2"
license: Apache
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: abandoned
---

# mkdocs-exclude — A mkdocs plugin that lets you exclude files or trees.

License: permissive · Maintenance: abandoned · Downloads: 254.0K/mo

## What it is and what it does

mkdocs-exclude is a plugin for mkdocs that filters out files and directories during the documentation build process. You configure it in mkdocs.yml with glob patterns (like `*.tmp`, `exclude/this/path/*`) or regular expressions to match files you want to skip. It solves the problem of having source files in your documentation tree that you don't want included in the final build—temporary files, compiled artifacts, or directories meant for reference only.

The plugin has no runtime dependencies and integrates directly into mkdocs' build pipeline. Configuration is straightforward: you list your exclusion patterns under `glob:` and `regex:` keys in the plugin section of mkdocs.yml. However, the project is no longer maintained, with the last release in February 2019 and no activity since early 2023, so compatibility with recent mkdocs versions is uncertain.

Use it for:

- Exclude temporary or draft files (*.tmp, *.draft) from being processed during mkdocs builds
- Filter out compiled artifacts or build outputs (*.pdf, *.gz, *.bin) from documentation source trees
- Skip entire directories of reference material or work-in-progress content from the final documentation
- Use regex patterns to exclude files matching complex naming conventions or extensions

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

A mkdocs plugin that excludes files and directories from documentation builds using glob patterns or regular expressions.

No—unless you are maintaining an existing mkdocs site already using this plugin. The package is abandoned with no releases since 2019 and no maintenance since early 2023. Modern mkdocs may have built-in or better-maintained alternatives for file exclusion. If you need this functionality, check whether mkdocs itself or a more actively maintained plugin provides it.

## Install

pip install mkdocs-exclude
uv add mkdocs-exclude
poetry add mkdocs-exclude

## Installing mkdocs-exclude

Before you install: High install friction with no runtime dependencies. The package is abandoned—last release was 2019-02-20 and last commit 2023-02-02—so expect no maintenance or bug fixes going forward.

License in practice: Licensed under Apache (permissive), so you can use it freely in commercial or open-source projects without copyleft obligations.

Quickstart:

pip install mkdocs-exclude

Then add to mkdocs.yml:
plugins:
  - exclude:
      glob:
        - exclude/this/path/*
        - "*.tmp"
      regex:
        - '.*\.(tmp|bin)$'

Requires mkdocs to be installed and configured; compatibility with current mkdocs versions is uncertain given the package's abandonment since 2019.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the plugin works with current mkdocs versions (no releases since early 2019)
- Python version compatibility (requires_python field is empty in metadata)

## Package facts

- License: Apache (permissive)
- Python support: unspecified
- Install friction: high
- Maintenance: abandoned
- Downloads: 254.0K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

mkdocs file exclusion, mkdocs exclude plugin, mkdocs glob patterns, mkdocs regex file filtering, mkdocs build file filtering, mkdocs ignore files, mkdocs-plugin, abandoned

[View on SkillFed](https://skillfed.io/packages/mkdocs-exclude) · [View on PyPI](https://pypi.org/project/mkdocs-exclude/)