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To stop Avast from interrupting a trusted code file, add a narrowly scoped exception rather than disabling antivirus protection. The steps depend on whether you use Avast Antivirus or Avast Security on a Mac; Avast One has separate instructions.
Before adding an Avast exception
First confirm the product name shown in the app and the exact file or folder path that triggered the alert. Avast’s documented menus can vary by product and version, so do not assume an Avast Antivirus route applies to Avast One.
- Check that the file came from a source you trust and that its path matches the alert.
- If it is an unexpected executable, downloaded archive, unfamiliar dependency, or suspicious script, investigate it before allowing it to bypass scanning.
- If you cannot establish that the file is safe, Avast recommends scanning it with VirusTotal or submitting it to Avast Threat Labs rather than excluding it. Avast Support explains exclusions and safety precautions.
Add an exception in Avast Antivirus for Windows
- Open Avast Antivirus and select Menu > Settings > General > Exceptions.
- Choose Add exception.
- For a project file or folder, use the File/Folder tab, browse to the exact path, and add it.
- If needed, open the exception’s advanced options and choose which scan or protection categories it applies to. The documented categories include All scans, Behavior Shield detections, File Shield detections, Hardened Mode detections, and CyberCapture detections.
- Recheck the path and selected categories before saving. Test only the trusted file or narrowly scoped project output that caused the interruption.
Avast also documents a Command Line exception option. Use it only when the command-line item itself is the issue and you understand what the exception covers.
Choose the narrowest exception that works
A file or folder exception can exclude that item from scans and shields by default. Advanced options let you limit the exception to selected protections or scan categories. A broad project-directory exception may therefore cover more than a manually started scan.
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| Exception choice | Effect and trade-off |
|---|---|
| Single file | Limits the exception to one path, making its scope easier to inspect and remove; newly generated files are not automatically covered. |
| Specific build or output folder | Can cover files repeatedly created in that location, but anything placed there may be excluded within the selected protection scope. |
| Broad project or development folder | Convenient when many files are involved, but may exempt unrelated or newly added content; avoid it unless that wider scope is intentional. |
| Selected scan or shield categories | Restricts which protections the exception affects, where the advanced options offer that choice. |
Prefer the smallest path and fewest excluded categories that resolve the specific interruption. Do not turn off all shields simply to make a build run.
Set exclusions in Avast Security for macOS
On Mac, scan exclusions and File Shield exclusions use separate settings routes:
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- For a particular scan type: Open Avast Security > Preferences > Scans, choose the relevant scan, select Add exceptions, and choose the file, folder, or application.
- For File Shield: Open Avast Security > Preferences > Core Shields > File Shield > Add exceptions, then choose the item to exclude.
Web Guard exceptions are for websites or domains, not code files.
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If you use Avast One
Avast One has separate exclusion instructions from Avast Antivirus. Confirm that the app is Avast One and follow its corresponding support guidance instead of using the Windows or Mac paths above. The available instructions do not establish one universal menu path across Avast One versions.
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Review or remove an exception
Keep exceptions limited to items you continue to trust. When a one-off build, test, or investigation is finished, return to the product’s exceptions settings, review the path and coverage, and remove the rule if it is no longer needed. If the alert returns for a different file, assess that file separately rather than expanding the existing exception automatically.
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