---
title: "How to Exclude Specific Files or Folders From a Plesk Backup"
description: "Leave specific files, folders or file types such as logs, caches and media out of a Plesk backup, using paths and wildcards to keep archives smaller."
url: "https://docs.noiz.ie/plesk/how-to-exclude-specific-files-or-folders-from-a-plesk-backup/"
section: "Plesk"
categories:
  - "Control Panels > Plesk > Backup & Restore"
last_reviewed: "27 July 2026, against the current Plesk Obsidian release"
---

# How to Exclude Specific Files or Folders From a Plesk Backup

Plesk lets you leave chosen files, folders, or file types out of a backup so the archive stays smaller and quicker to create. This is handy for excluding large media libraries, log files, or cache directories you do not need to protect. This guide shows you how to do that from the Plesk control panel on your Noiz hosting.

**Last reviewed:** 27 July 2026, against the current Plesk Obsidian release. This guide is written for Noiz hosting and is kept current against Plesk. It complements, and does not replace, the official Plesk documentation linked below.

### Official Documentation Reference

- [Plesk Obsidian Customer Guide](https://docs.plesk.com/en-US/obsidian/customer-guide/). See the *Backing Up and Restoration* section for the full backup and restore reference.

## Prerequisites

- Access to your Plesk control panel for the subscription you want to back up.
- The path of the file, folder, or file type you intend to exclude.

## Exclude Files or Folders From a Plesk Backup

1. Log in to your Plesk account.
2. Go to **Websites & Domains** > click the **pull-down icon** > choose **Backup & Restore**. ![Plesk Websites and Domains dashboard with the Backup and Restore option selected](/img/plesk-account-backup-manager-access.gif)
3. Under **Backup Manager**, click **Back Up**. ![Plesk Backup Manager with the Back Up button highlighted](/img/plesk-backup-manager-generate.gif)
4. Choose the backup type. ![Plesk backup type options with the full backup choice selected](/img/plesk-backup-full-option.gif)
5. Tick **Exclude specific files from the backup**. ![Plesk backup dialog with the exclude specific files from the backup checkbox ticked](/img/exclude-file-from-backup-plesk-account.gif)

Enter one path per line. Paths are relative to the subscription's home directory. For example:

To exclude a single file:

```
/httpdocs/directory/filename.jpg
```

To exclude a whole directory:

```
/httpdocs/images
```

To exclude only a specific file type, such as PNG images:

```
/httpdocs/images/*.png
```

6. Confirm with **OK**. The backup starts generating in the background, so you can navigate away from the page while it runs.

## Good to Know

- Exclusions you set here apply to **this backup only**. To keep files out of automatic backups, set the same **Exclude specific files from the backup** option inside your **scheduled backup** settings.
- The wildcard `*` matches file names within a directory, so `*.log` or `*.png` is a quick way to skip a whole file type.
- Excluding large, easily replaced content (media libraries, caches, logs) keeps your backup archives smaller and faster to create and restore.

If you are on a managed Noiz plan and would like a hand configuring backups or exclusions, contact Noiz support through your client area and the team will assist.

---
Source: https://docs.noiz.ie/plesk/how-to-exclude-specific-files-or-folders-from-a-plesk-backup/