# Option to save excluded data's metadata?

**URL:** <https://kopia.discourse.group/t/option-to-save-excluded-datas-metadata/8861>\
**Category:** Feature Requests\
**Created:** [April 21, 2026, 6:50am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/option-to-save-excluded-datas-metadata/8861 "2026-04-21T06:50:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2026, 6:50am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/option-to-save-excluded-datas-metadata/8861/1 "2026-04-21T06:50:18Z")

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I exclude data downloaded from internet but I want to know that data is excluded when I restore, so I want to save/restore filenames, directory structure, and metadata like file created , last edited.

Also there is 1% data I don’t care about it’s metadata like programs.

Syntax Idea to exclude all but save metadata

```bash
*.* --save-metadata

```

Level based - only save 1 sub folder below the current directories metadata

```auto
*.* --save-metadata level1

```

Feature request 2 - Instead of selectively excluding, add option to selectively include

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![uew93h](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/5e9695/32.png) [@uew93h](https://kopia.discourse.group/u/uew93h)\
**Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 7:38am UTC](https://kopia.discourse.group/t/option-to-save-excluded-datas-metadata/8861/2 "2026-05-08T07:38:09Z")

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Add option to save/restore the .kopiaignore files themselves