Protected Paths

Overview

Protected paths are directories that Cluttered will never suggest for cleaning, regardless of their content or activity status.

Use this feature for:

• Critical production projects
• Shared codebases
• Projects with unusual structures
• Directories you never want touched

Adding Protected Paths

From the UI

1. Open Cluttered preferences (⌘,)
2. Go to the "Protected" tab
3. Click "Add Path"
4. Select the directory to protect
5. Click "Save"

From the Scan Results

1. Right-click on a project in the results
2. Select "Protect this path"
3. The project will be hidden from future scans

How Protection Works

When a path is protected:

• It won't appear in scan results
• Its subdirectories are also protected
• You can still manually navigate to it in Finder

Protection is applied before scanning, so protected directories aren't even analyzed.

Default Protected Paths

Cluttered automatically protects certain system paths:

• /System/ - macOS system files
• /Library/ - System library
• ~/Library/ - User library (mostly)
• /.Trash/ - System trash
• /Volumes/ - External drives (by default)

Removing Protection

To stop protecting a path:

1. Open Cluttered preferences
2. Go to the "Protected" tab
3. Find the path in the list
4. Click the remove button (✕)

The directory will appear in the next scan.

Best Practices

1. Protect production directories: If you have a critical app running from a directory, protect it
2. Use sparingly: Too many protected paths reduce Cluttered's effectiveness
3. Review periodically: Remove protection from paths you no longer need
4. Consider git protection: Remember, Cluttered already protects projects with uncommitted changes