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How to Ignore Sensitive Files in Cursor

Introduction​

When working with Cursor's AI features, it's crucial to protect sensitive information such as environment variables and configuration files. This guide explains how to properly configure file ignoring to maintain security.

Using .cursorignore​

Basic Configuration​

  1. Create a .cursorignore file in your repository
  2. Add patterns for files you want to exclude from AI analysis
  3. The file can be placed at any level of your repository

Common Ignore Patterns​

# Environment files
.env
.env.local
.env.*

# Configuration files
config/secrets.yml
**/credentials.json

# Other sensitive files
**/private/*
**/secrets/*

Security Best Practices​

Sensitive File Protection​

  1. Always ignore:
    • Environment files (.env)
    • API keys
    • Credentials
    • Private certificates
    • Personal tokens

Additional Security Measures​

  1. Double-check file exclusions:

    • Verify .cursorignore is working
    • Monitor AI interactions
    • Regularly audit exposed files

  2. Repository-wide protection:

    • Combine with .gitignore
    • Use consistent naming for sensitive files
    • Document security practices

Important Considerations​

Security Awareness​

  • AI models may process file contents
  • Sensitive data should be properly protected
  • Regular security audits recommended

File Management​

  1. Organize sensitive files:

    • Keep in dedicated directories
    • Use clear naming conventions
    • Document security requirements

  2. Regular maintenance:

    • Review ignored files
    • Update patterns as needed
    • Check for accidental exposure

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

  1. Files still being indexed:

    • Verify .cursorignore syntax
    • Check file path patterns
    • Restart Cursor if needed

  2. Pattern matching problems:

    • Use correct glob patterns
    • Test pattern matching
    • Consider file location

Best Practices​

File Organization​

  1. Centralize sensitive files:

    • Use dedicated config directories
    • Maintain consistent structure
    • Document file purposes

  2. Naming conventions:

    • Clear, descriptive names
    • Consistent patterns
    • Easy to match in ignore files

Team Collaboration​

  1. Share security practices:

    • Document ignored patterns
    • Maintain security guidelines
    • Regular team reviews

  2. Onboarding process:

    • Include security setup
    • Verify ignore patterns
    • Train on best practices

Setting Up New Projects​

  1. Create ignore files early:

    touch .cursorignore

  2. Add standard patterns:

    # Environment files
    .env*

    # Secrets
    secrets/
    **/credentials/*

  3. Verify configuration:

    • Test with sample files
    • Check AI interaction
    • Document setup

Maintaining Security​

  1. Regular reviews:

    • Audit ignored files
    • Update patterns
    • Check for exposures

  2. Team coordination:

    • Share updates
    • Review changes
    • Maintain documentation