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P4 CLI Documentation | 2026.1

# P4IGNORE

Specify a filename or list of filenames that contain rules for ignoring files when adding client workspace files to the depot (p4 add) and when reconciling client workspaces (p4 reconcile).

## Usage notes

Each client machine can have its own rules, which apply to how the client interacts with the P4 Server.

Used by Client? | Used by Server? | Command-Line Alternative | Can be set in P4CONFIG file?
--- | --- | --- | ---
Yes | No | None | Yes

To see the rules for your client machine, use the `p4 ignores -v` command.

Test your rules to ensure that they work as expected.

## Default P4IGNORE files

Operating System | File Names | Note
--- | --- | ---
All | `.p4ignore` `p4ignore.txt` | The `.p4ignore` file, if present, is processed first, followed by `p4ignore.txt` file, if present.

The default file names do not appear in the output of p4 set because they are in place without setting `P4IGNORE`.

### Prerequisites for the default file names

Prior to the 2023.2 release of P4 Server, no rule file name was set by default. The prerequisites for `P4IGNORE` automatically looking for the default file names are an installation of:

- P4 Server 2023.2 (or later)

- A compatible version of a P4 client, such as:

  - The p4 client included with the 2023.2 Server (or later), or

  - P4V 2023.4 (or later)

See also Default ignored paths in the p4 ignores topic.

## Set a list of files containing rules

You can set a list of files with rules. This means that `.p4ignore` and `p4ignore.txt` do not apply by default, but can be explicitly set. For example,

`p4 set P4IGNORE=.p4ignore;/etc/.systemp4ignore;$home/my-rules-for-ignore`

Such a list:

- Specifies rule files that are read in the order presented.

- Uses semicolon (`;`) as the separator.

- Can contain absolute and relative file paths.

## Notes and examples

Within the file that specifies rules for ignore, each rule must be on its own separate line. For example,

    # files to ignore
    readme.txt
    *.html
    my-logo.png

Use the `p4 ignores` command to determine which line of the `P4IGNORE` file is being used to ignore a file:

`p4 ignores -v -i my-path`

The syntax for the contents of a `P4IGNORE` file is not the same as P4 Server syntax. Instead, it is similar to that used by other versioning systems. Consider the following.

Token | Syntax Example | Explanation
--- | --- | ---
`#` |
    # Ignore the #example.html file
    \#example.html
| A `#` character at the beginning of a line denotes a comment. You can escape the `#` comment character with a backslash (`\`). This allows filenames beginning with `#` to be ignored.
`.p4ignore` |
    # Ignore my private .p4ignore files so p4 clean does not remove them
    .p4ignore
| Although `P4IGNORE` automatically includes the P4CONFIG and P4ROOT filenames, it does not automatically include the `P4IGNORE` filename. If you want to have a private `P4IGNORE` file that is not under source control, include your private `P4IGNORE` file in the `P4IGNORE` file list. Otherwise, the p4 clean and `p4 reconcile -w` commands remove any private `P4IGNORE` files when it makes the workspace match the depot. Rules are specified using local filepath syntax. Unix style paths will work on Windows for cross-platform file support.
`!` |
    # Ignore all HTML files except the readme file
    *.html
    !readme.html
| A ! character at the beginning of a line excludes the file specification. These exclusions override rules defined above it in the `P4IGNORE` file, but can be overridden by later rules. This scenario applies where the `P4IGNORE` file exists in more than one directory, and one of those directories is a subdirectory of the other.
`/` |
    # Ignore the bin directory
    bin/
| A `/` (or `\` on Windows) character at the end of a line causes the file specification to only match directories, and not files of the same name.
`/` |
    # Ignore the build.properties file in this directory
    /build.properties
| A `/` (or `\` on Windows) character at the beginning of a line causes the file specification to be considered relative to the `P4IGNORE` file. This is useful when the rule must apply to files at particular depots of the directory tree.
`*` |
    # Ignore all object files, shared libraries, and executables
    *.dll
    *.so
    *.exe
    *.o
| The `*` wildcard matches substrings. Like the P4 Server wildcard equivalent, it does not match path separators. However, if the `*` wildcard is not used as part of a path, the directory scanning nature of the rule might make it appear to perform like the P4 "`...`" wildcard.
`**` |
    # Ignore all text files in test directories
    test/**.txt
| The `**` wildcard matches substrings, including path separators. It is equivalent to the P4"`...`" wildcard, which is not permitted.

### Setting P4IGNORE with a relative path

You can set `P4IGNORE` with a relative path. For example,

`p4 set P4IGNORE=.p4ignore`

or

`p4 set P4IGNORE=p4ignore.txt`

If the name of the rule file is set with a relative path, a file with that name can be in a single directory location or multiple directories. A rule applies to the directory of the P4IGNORE file it is found in and its subdirectories.

A rule in a subdirectory can prevent files from being added at that level. For example, the top-level rule might prevent .html files from being added, and a rule in a subdirectory can supplement the rule it inherits with an additional rule to prevent .txt files from being added.

A subdirectory rule can can override a rule set in a parent directory. For example, if a rule in a subdirectory is

    # allow the readme.html file to be added
    ! readme.html

it overrides at that level a more general rule in a parent directory that says:

    # do not add HTML files
    *.html

### Setting P4IGNORE with an absolute path

To make `P4IGNORE` use exactly one file, set `P4IGNORE` to an absolute path. For example,

    p4 set P4IGNORE=C:\users\maria\my-ignore-rules.txt

Linux and MacOS support using `$home` for setting environment variables. For example,

    p4 set P4IGNORE=$home/my-ignore-rules

Windows supports using `%USERPROFILE%` for setting environment variables. For example,

    p4 set P4IGNORE=%USERPROFILE%\my-ignore-rules.txt

which is interpreted as an absolute path to a directory such as `C:\users\maria\my-ignore-rules.txt`

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