{"id":"mac-storage-basics.how-do-i-exclude-folders-from-time-machine","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-exclude-folders-from-time-machine","category":{"id":"mac-storage-basics","title":"Mac storage basics"},"subcategory":{"id":"time-machine","title":"Time Machine basics"},"question":"How do I exclude folders from Time Machine backups?","alt_questions":["time machine exclude folder","skip folders in time machine","time machine options exclude","stop backing up downloads time machine","reduce time machine backup size"],"short_answer":"In System Settings → General → Time Machine, click Options and add folders or drives with +. Excluded items can't be restored from Time Machine.","answer_markdown":"Open **System Settings → General → Time Machine**, click **Options…**, then click **+** under the exclusion list and choose the folders or drives to skip. Common candidates are Downloads, virtual machine files, caches and folders already stored in the cloud.\n\nExcluded items won't be restorable from Time Machine, so only exclude things you have elsewhere or can recreate.","answer_html":"

Open System Settings → General → Time Machine, click Options…, then click + under the exclusion list and choose the folders or drives to skip. Common candidates are Downloads, virtual machine files, caches and folders already stored in the cloud.

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Excluded items won't be restorable from Time Machine, so only exclude things you have elsewhere or can recreate.

","answer_text":"Open System Settings → General → Time Machine, click Options…, then click + under the exclusion list and choose the folders or drives to skip. Common candidates are Downloads, virtual machine files, caches and folders already stored in the cloud.\n\nExcluded items won't be restorable from Time Machine, so only exclude things you have elsewhere or can recreate.","tags":["time machine","exclude","backup"],"related":[{"id":"mac-storage-basics.how-big-should-a-time-machine-drive-be","question":"How big should my Time Machine backup drive be?","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-big-should-a-time-machine-drive-be"},{"id":"mac-storage-basics.does-time-machine-back-up-external-drives","question":"Does Time Machine back up my other external drives?","url":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/does-time-machine-back-up-external-drives"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"How do I exclude folders from Time Machine backups? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"In System Settings → General → Time Machine, click Options and add folders or drives with +. Excluded items can't be restored from Time Machine.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Mac storage basics","path":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/"},{"name":"How do I exclude folders from Time Machine backups?","path":"/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-exclude-folders-from-time-machine"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-exclude-folders-from-time-machine","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"How do I exclude folders from Time Machine backups?","alternateName":["time machine exclude folder","skip folders in time machine","time machine options exclude","stop backing up downloads time machine","reduce time machine backup size"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Open System Settings → General → Time Machine, click Options…, then click + under the exclusion list and choose the folders or drives to skip. Common candidates are Downloads, virtual machine files, caches and folders already stored in the cloud.\n\nExcluded items won't be restorable from Time Machine, so only exclude things you have elsewhere or can recreate.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-exclude-folders-from-time-machine"}}]},"fragment":"
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Mac storage basics · Time Machine basics

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How do I exclude folders from Time Machine backups?

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Short answer: In System Settings → General → Time Machine, click Options and add folders or drives with +. Excluded items can't be restored from Time Machine.

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Open System Settings → General → Time Machine, click Options…, then click + under the exclusion list and choose the folders or drives to skip. Common candidates are Downloads, virtual machine files, caches and folders already stored in the cloud.

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Excluded items won't be restorable from Time Machine, so only exclude things you have elsewhere or can recreate.

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