Concept of Protected Paths

Protected paths are directories that GameCatalyst permanently shields from AI access. No matter what settings you configure, these are always off limits. This is a hard boundary that cannot be overridden.

The four protected directories:

• .git — Version control data. Modifying this corrupts your repository history.
• Library — Unity’s internal cache. Unity regenerates it automatically. Manual changes cause crashes.
• Temp — Temporary build files. Managed by Unity, deleted frequently.
• Logs — Log files for debugging. Read-only by nature.

What protected means: AI cannot read, create, modify, rename, move, delete, or list contents of these directories. Any attempt returns immediate “access denied” regardless of dry-run mode, permissions, or autonomy level.

Configuration: Defined as glob patterns in gamecatalyst-config.json under file_system.safety.protected_globs: **/.git/**, **/Library/**, **/Temp/**, **/Logs/**.

Can you change them? The config is editable, but removing protections is strongly discouraged. These directories are protected for very good reasons. The default list covers everything that should never be touched by external tools.

Combined with containment: Protected paths work inside your project. Project containment blocks everything outside it. Together they form a complete safety net for your file system.

Why each directory is protected:

Each protected directory serves a critical function that makes it unsuitable for AI modification:

• .git: Contains every commit, branch, tag, and change in your project’s history. A single corrupted file here can make your entire Git repository unrecoverable. Version control is your safety net — it must never be touched by automated tools.
• Library: Unity’s compiled assemblies, imported asset cache, and editor metadata. Unity regenerates this folder from your source files. Manual changes are overwritten on the next import and can cause editor crashes, broken references, or corrupted project state.
• Temp: Temporary files created during builds, play mode, and compilation. Unity deletes and recreates these constantly. There is never a reason for AI to touch them.
• Logs: Diagnostic output for troubleshooting. Logs should be read, not written. Modifying log files would corrupt the diagnostic trail that helps you debug issues.

Defense in depth:

Protected paths are one layer in a multi-layer safety system. Even if protection were somehow bypassed (it cannot be through GameCatalyst commands), project containment limits access to your project directory, dry-run mode previews changes before executing, and permission gates control which commands are available. Every layer reinforces the others.