How to select only specific files? Need to exclude several hundreds files from being synced (files that are located within the same folder(s) that I want backed up).
MacBook Pro (2020 and later)
The easiest way to prevent a syncing with iCloud Drive is to move the the documents and data you do not want to sync to other devices to a local folder in your user home folder -create a folder "Documents Local" or similar and drag the files there.
The main purpose of iCloud Drive is to keep the documents and data identical across all your devices - so everything you move go iCloud Drive will be synced to our other devices. There is no feature to place files on iCloud Drive, but not having them sync to other devices.
You can just prevent files from uploading to iCloud Drive at all by adding the filename extension .nosync to the filename or folder name. This filename extension will prevent files in the iCloud Drive folder from uploading to iCloud at all. They will remain local and not appear on other devices. You will see a crossed out cloud badge behind the filename on iCloud Drive. For example:
One more thing: You mentioned that you are using iCloud Drive as a backup. iCloud Drive is not a backup, it is just an off-site storage. If your house burns down or your Mac is lost or stolen, you can recover the files from iCloud Drive, as they are stored on Apple's servers. But moving files to iCloud Drive does not create a backup copy for you. If you delete files or folders yourself from iCloud Drive or some files get damaged by buggy software, you cannot recover them from iCloud, if the files on iCloud Drive have been your only copy. iCloud Drive cannot serve as a backup, unless you are keeping only duplicates of your working files there. So don't forget to make regular backups, for example with Time Machine.
The easiest way to prevent a syncing with iCloud Drive is to move the the documents and data you do not want to sync to other devices to a local folder in your user home folder -create a folder "Documents Local" or similar and drag the files there.
The main purpose of iCloud Drive is to keep the documents and data identical across all your devices - so everything you move go iCloud Drive will be synced to our other devices. There is no feature to place files on iCloud Drive, but not having them sync to other devices.
You can just prevent files from uploading to iCloud Drive at all by adding the filename extension .nosync to the filename or folder name. This filename extension will prevent files in the iCloud Drive folder from uploading to iCloud at all. They will remain local and not appear on other devices. You will see a crossed out cloud badge behind the filename on iCloud Drive. For example:
One more thing: You mentioned that you are using iCloud Drive as a backup. iCloud Drive is not a backup, it is just an off-site storage. If your house burns down or your Mac is lost or stolen, you can recover the files from iCloud Drive, as they are stored on Apple's servers. But moving files to iCloud Drive does not create a backup copy for you. If you delete files or folders yourself from iCloud Drive or some files get damaged by buggy software, you cannot recover them from iCloud, if the files on iCloud Drive have been your only copy. iCloud Drive cannot serve as a backup, unless you are keeping only duplicates of your working files there. So don't forget to make regular backups, for example with Time Machine.
Use option , shift and command keys and click them to select alternate files , to select the files that are in series hold shift key click on first file and then the last file .
And drag and drop to some other location as described in the last paragraph of the article , the files can also be located in subfolders within the primary folder Work with folders and files in iCloud Drive - Apple Support
As per this article Show or hide filename extensions on Mac - Apple Support
When you rename a file or folder, don’t change its filename extension, or you may no longer be able to open the file with the app that was used to create it. To be warned before you change an extension, select “Show warning before changing an extension” in the Advanced pane of Finder preferences.
If you want to change a file’s format, use the app you used to create the file. For example, TextEdit can convert a document from plain text format (.txt) to a rich text format (.rtf), and Preview can convert many types of graphics files.
Make sure you had turned on iCloud Drive and desktops and documents box see the articles Add your Desktop and Documents files to iCloud Drive - Apple Support
Use iCloud Drive to store documents on your Mac and iOS devices - Apple Support
Get file, folder and disk information on Mac - Apple Support
iCloud Drive FAQ - Apple Support
See the section - What types of files can I store in iCloud Drive?
Read Organize files and folders in iCloud Drive on iCloud.com - Apple Support
How to exclude certain files/folders from iCloud Drive sync
