<keepout />

Overview

Use <keepout /> to reserve a physical area on one or more PCB layers. Keepouts are useful anywhere the board needs clear space: antenna clearance regions, mounting hardware, connector sweeps, high-voltage spacing, mechanical brackets, test fixtures, or other areas where components and routing should stay away.

Start by asking your AI to “use tscircuit.”

Tell your AI what you want to build. In environments where your AI can install and run tools, it can download and use tscircuit automatically—you usually don’t need to install anything yourself.

Try: Use tscircuit to design a USB-powered LED board.

Keepouts do not have a schematic representation. They are PCB-only layout constraints.

Basic Usage

Add a keepout to any board by choosing a shape and placing it on the PCB. The example below shows a top-layer rectangular keepout reserving clearance near a chip, keeping routing, copper, pads, vias, and footprints out of that area.

export default () => (
  <board width="10mm" height="10mm">
  <resistor name="R1" footprint="0402" resistance="1k" pcbX={-4} />
  <keepout shape="rect" pcbX={0} pcbY={0} width="2.4mm" height="5mm" />
  <resistor name="R2" footprint="0402" resistance="1k" pcbX={4} />

  <trace from=".R1 > .pin1" to=".R2 > .pin1" />
</board>
)

Layer Selection

Use layers to choose where the keepout applies. If layers is omitted, tscircuit emits the keepout on the top layer.

<keepout
  shape="rect"
  pcbX={0}
  pcbY={0}
  width="5mm"
  height="3mm"
  layers={["top", "bottom"]}
/>

Layer names use the same layer refs as other PCB elements, such as "top", "bottom", and inner-layer names like "inner1" when the board has those layers.

Keepout Properties

Property	Description	Example
shape	Shape of the keepout area. Use "rect" for a rectangle or "circle" for a circle.	"rect"
width	Width of a rectangular keepout. Required when shape is "rect".	"6mm"
height	Height of a rectangular keepout. Required when shape is "rect".	"8mm"
radius	Radius of a circular keepout. Required when shape is "circle".	"4mm"
layers	PCB layers where the keepout applies. Defaults to ["top"].	["top", "bottom"]
warningOnly	Allow routing and placement, reporting prohibited overlaps as warnings instead of errors.	true
allowTraces	Allow trace crossings without keepout errors or warnings.	true
allowPlacements	Allow components and their pads/plated holes without keepout errors or warnings.	true
excludeRefs	Component selectors exempt from keepout diagnostics.	[".ANT1"]

The three boolean props default to false. allowTraces and allowPlacements are independent and can be combined; allowed overlaps do not warn even with warningOnly. Neither permission exempts vias. Copper pours still avoid the keepout with any of these props enabled.