---
title: "How do I exclude a directory when using `find`?"  
description: "How do I exclude a directory when using `find`?"  
author: "Utpal Vishwas"  
published: 2023-07-14  
updated: 2023-07-15  
canonical: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159089/how-do-i-exclude-a-directory-when-using-find  
category: "linux"  
tags: ["linux", "search"]  
reading_time: 2 minutes  

---

# How do I exclude a directory when using `find`?

How do I [exclude](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/1756/wpf-linq-a-collection-to-include-or-exclude-items) a [directory](https://www.mindstick.com/forum/226/how-to-get-application-directory-using-c-sharp-csharp) when using `find`?

## Replies

### Reply by Aryan Kumar

Sure, there are a few ways to exclude a directory when using `find`. Here are two methods:

**Method 1: Using the** `-path` **option**

The `-path` option tells the `find` command to only search for files and directories that match the specified path. To exclude a directory, you can use the `-path` option with the `!` operator.

For example, to exclude the directory `/home/user/my_directory` from the search, you would use the following command:

```plaintext
find . -path !/home/user/my_directory
```

**Method 2: Using the** `-prune` **option**

The `-prune` option tells the `find` command to stop searching a directory and its subdirectories. To exclude a directory, you can use the `-prune` option with the `-path` option.

For example, to exclude the directory `/home/user/my_directory` from the search, you would use the following command:

```plaintext
find . -path /home/user/my_directory -prune
```

Here is a table that summarizes the differences between the `-path` and `-prune` options:

| Option | Description |
| --- | --- |
| `-path` | Only search for files and directories that match the specified path |
| `-prune` | Stop searching a directory and its subdirectories |


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Original Source: https://www.mindstick.com/forum/159089/how-do-i-exclude-a-directory-when-using-find

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