Scanfully supports wildcard patterns in broken link and broken media ignore settings. This makes it easier to exclude groups of URLs or asset paths without adding every variation one by one.
This is useful when you already know certain patterns should be ignored, such as links or media paths that follow a repeated structure and are not relevant to your review.
Instead of creating many separate ignore entries, you can define a pattern that matches multiple related URLs or media items.
This gives you more control over scan results and reduces noise in reports. Wildcard patterns can be used in the Ignore Pages or Domains and Ignore Broken Links fields for both Broken Link and Broken Media settings.
This gives you a more flexible way to exclude URLs and asset paths from scan results. Instead of adding every URL one by one, you can define a pattern that matches a group of related URLs.
The * character matches zero or more of any character. Matching is case-sensitive.
How matching works
Scanfully supports both exact matching and wildcard matching.
When you enter a full URL without a wildcard, Scanfully looks for that exact value only.
When you enter a value without a scheme, such as a domain or path fragment, Scanfully treats it as a substring match.
When you use *, Scanfully matches zero or more characters before, after, or between the fixed parts of the pattern.
Exact match without a wildcard
Use an exact match when you want to ignore one specific URL only.
| Pattern | Matches | Doesn’t Match |
|---|---|---|
https://example.com/page | https://example.com/page | https://example.com/page/sub |
Substring match without a scheme
If the pattern does not include a scheme like https://, Scanfully matches it as a substring.
This is useful when you want to ignore a domain fragment or a path fragment wherever it appears.
| Pattern | Matches | Doesn’t Match |
|---|---|---|
example.com | https://example.com/page, https://cdn.example.com/img.png | https://other.com/page |
/wp-content/ | https://mysite.com/wp-content/uploads/img.jpg | https://mysite.com/about |
Ignore everything under a path
Use a wildcard at the end of a path when you want to ignore everything below that location.
| Pattern | Matches | Doesn’t Match |
|---|---|---|
https://example.com/blog/* | https://example.com/blog/post-1, https://example.com/blog/2024/march | https://example.com/about |
https://example.com/search* | https://example.com/search?q=test&page=2 | https://example.com/about |
Ignore an entire domain, including subdomains
Use a wildcard in front of the domain when you want to ignore all subdomains for that domain.
| Pattern | Matches | Doesn’t Match |
|---|---|---|
*.shopify.com/* | https://cdn.shopify.com/image.jpg, https://assets.shopify.com/style.css | https://example.com/page |
*.example.com/* | https://cdn.example.com/img.png, https://sub.example.com/page | https://other.com/page |
Ignore a specific file or path across any domain
Use a wildcard at the start when the domain does not matter, but the path does.
| Pattern | Matches | Doesn’t Match |
|---|---|---|
*/wp-content/* | https://site-a.com/wp-content/uploads/img.jpg, https://site-b.com/wp-content/themes/style.css | https://site-a.com/about |
*/cdn-cgi/* | https://example.com/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection | https://example.com/about |
Match anything between fixed path segments
You can also place a wildcard in the middle of a pattern.
This is useful when the start and end of the URL stay the same, but the path between them changes.
| Pattern | Matches | Doesn’t Match |
|---|---|---|
https://example.com/*/image.png | https://example.com/a/b/c/image.png | https://example.com/a/b/style.css |
Use multiple wildcards in one pattern
You can combine multiple wildcards in a single pattern when needed.
| Pattern | Matches | Doesn’t Match |
|---|---|---|
*.example.com/*/img/* | https://cdn.example.com/assets/img/logo.png | https://cdn.example.com/assets/css/style.css |
Match everything
Use * only when you want to match every URL.
| Pattern | Matches |
|---|---|
* | Any URL |
When to use wildcard ignore patterns
Wildcard ignore patterns are useful when many broken links or broken media items follow the same structure. They help reduce noise in scan results and keep reports focused on the issues you actually want to review.
For example, you might use them to ignore CDN paths, repeated asset folders, known protected routes, tracking URLs, or other patterns that are not relevant to your scan review.
FAQ
Where can I use wildcard patterns?
You can use them in the Ignore Pages or Domains and Ignore Broken Links fields for both Broken Link and Broken Media settings.
Is matching case-sensitive?
Yes. Matching is case-sensitive.
What does * mean?
The * character matches zero or more of any character.
What happens if I do not use a wildcard?
If you enter a full URL, Scanfully treats it as an exact match. If you enter a value without a scheme, such as example.com or /wp-content/, Scanfully treats it as a substring match.
Can I ignore an entire domain or subdomain pattern?
Yes. A pattern like *.example.com/* matches URLs across all subdomains of that domain.
Can I ignore a path across every domain?
Yes. A pattern like */wp-content/* matches that path regardless of domain.
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