# Repository selection methods

**GitProtect supports multiple repository selection methods that allow administrators to define the scope of backup and recovery operations according to organizational requirements. Repositories can be selected manually, automatically, or included and excluded based on configurable rules and filters.**

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## Selecting data to protect

When creating a backup plan, one of the steps is to specify which repositories you want to protect. **GitProtect** offers several methods for selecting repositories:

1. **Protect all**: this option ensures that all existing repositories and projects, as well as any newly created ones, are automatically included in the backup plan without requiring manual updates.
2. **Select projects**: using checkboxes, you can choose specific projects to protect.
3. **Select repositories**: using checkboxes, you can choose specific repositories to protect.

{% hint style="danger" %}
Repositories and projects created after applying method 2 or method 3 **will not be automatically included in the backup plan and must be added manually**.
{% endhint %}

3. **Exclude repositories**: using checkboxes, you can exclude specific repositories, allowing the plan to cover all other repositories by default.
4. **Set rules**: this option lets you define criteria to include repositories and projects based on attributes such as their names or associated topics, ensuring that repositories meeting these conditions are automatically protected.

{% hint style="info" %}
Learn more about selection rules and rule patterns in [this article](/backup-and-recovery/devops/general/repository-selection-rules.md).
{% endhint %}


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