---
id: mac-storage-basics.how-do-i-exclude-folders-from-time-machine
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-do-i-exclude-folders-from-time-machine
category: "Mac storage basics"
subcategory: "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."
tags: ["time machine", "exclude", "backup"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/how-big-should-a-time-machine-drive-be", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/mac-storage-basics/does-time-machine-back-up-external-drives"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# How do I exclude folders from Time Machine backups?

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.

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