zed-industries/zed · error

Cannot list directory because its path matches the user's wo

Error message

Cannot list directory because its path matches the user's worktree `private_paths` setting: {}

What it means

The final settings gate in list_directory: the directory matches the worktree-level private paths setting (`private_paths`, enforced through is_path_private on worktree-scoped WorktreeSettings). Like global private_files it is a security boundary, but scoped to the repository, letting a repo declare its own sensitive locations that the agent must never enumerate.

Source

Thrown at crates/agent/src/tools/list_directory_tool.rs:300

                }

                if global_settings.is_path_private(&project_path.path) {
                    anyhow::bail!(
                        "Cannot list directory because its path matches the user's global `private_files` setting: {}",
                        input.path
                    );
                }

                let worktree_settings = WorktreeSettings::get(Some((&project_path).into()), cx);
                if worktree_settings.is_path_excluded(&project_path.path) {
                    anyhow::bail!(
                        "Cannot list directory because its path matches the user's worktree `file_scan_exclusions` setting: {}",
                        input.path
                    );
                }

                if worktree_settings.is_path_private(&project_path.path) {
                    anyhow::bail!(
                        "Cannot list directory because its path matches the user's worktree `private_paths` setting: {}",
                        input.path
                    );
                }

                let worktree_snapshot = worktree.read(cx).snapshot();
                let Some(entry) = worktree_snapshot.entry_for_path(&project_path.path) else {
                    anyhow::bail!("Path not found: {}", input.path);
                };
                if !entry.is_dir() {
                    anyhow::bail!("{} is not a directory.", input.path);
                }

                anyhow::Ok(())
            }).map_err(|e| e.to_string())?;

            if let Some(canonical_target) = &symlink_canonical_target {
                let authorize = cx.update(|cx| {

View on GitHub (pinned to bc538def45)

Solutions

1. Respect the policy — do not expose the private path to the agent
2. Narrow the worktree `private_paths` glob in .zed/settings.json if the match is accidental
3. Move the content you actually need out of the private-matching path

Example fix

// before — <repo>/.zed/settings.json
"private_paths": ["local/**"]

// after — only the credentials dir is private
"private_paths": ["local/creds/**"]

let private = project.read_with(cx, |_, cx| {
    WorktreeSettings::get(Some((&project_path).into()), cx)
        .is_path_private(&project_path.path)
});
if private {
    // repository-declared private path; refuse before calling the tool
}

Match `private_paths` in the message and stop; report that the repository's own settings mark the path private.

When it happens

Trigger: list_directory where the global checks pass but the worktree's `private_paths` globs match the requested path.

Common situations: A repository checks in .zed/settings.json marking local credential or key directories private; the agent is asked to explore them.

Related errors

• Cannot list directory because its path matches the user's gl
• Cannot list directory because its path matches the user's wo
• Cannot read file because its path matches the worktree `priv
• Cannot list directory because its path matches the user's gl
• {} is not a directory.

AI-assisted analysis of zed-industries/zed@bc538def45 (2026-08-16). Data as JSON: /api/errors/3aca45a7e6e3688d. Report an issue: GitHub.