Exclude only content that is unnecessary for the agreed recovery plan or protected elsewhere. Cache and temporary files can be reasonable candidates; customer uploads, application configuration and original media usually need deliberate protection.
01 Review an exclusion
- List the paths you propose to exclude and explain how the site would recreate or recover them.
- Open the website's settings in CodeGuard and review its existing file exclusions.
- Use the supported file picker or exclusion-pattern control to select the exact path.
- Check wildcard scope before saving. A pattern aimed at one cache folder should not match every similarly named directory.
- Run a new backup and inspect the resulting content for both the intended omission and neighbouring required files.
02 Document recovery implications
Record where excluded business data is backed up and who owns that process. If nothing else protects it, the exclusion represents a deliberate recovery gap that the site owner must understand.
Common questions
Should I exclude all images to save space?
Not unless they can be reliably recovered elsewhere. Original product photos and customer uploads may be essential to restore the site.
Does a smaller backup prove the exclusion is correct?
No. Browse or download a sample and check required paths. Size alone does not establish recoverability.
Do default exclusions exist?
CodeGuard can exclude certain cache and temporary content by default. Review both service defaults and your custom choices when checking what is protected.
Revisit exclusions after an application changes its storage paths. An old harmless pattern can become significant if a developer starts storing important data in the same directory. Preserve a known useful backup before making broad selection changes, and ask us to review unclear scope before removing the only copy of business-critical content.